


tonight you're perfect.

by porcelainsimplicity



Series: i refuse to admit there was a beach divorce (aka all my charles/erik fics) [53]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Sex, Erik's really rich, Gay Sex, HIV/AIDS, Hooker Fic, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Novel, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-07-23 12:21:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 66,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16158884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: tonight you're perfecti wanna fall in love with the stars in your eyestonight you're perfecti wanna fall in love but only for the nightonly for the nightor: Charles sells himself on a street corner, Erik picks him up one night, and nothing is ever the same.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so this story was originally written as an RPF four years ago and posted here, but I have since taken down all of my RPF fics as it makes me uncomfortable to have it up, but I loved this story so much that I decided to reimagine it into a character based fic and rewrite bits of it as I go. so if anyone likes this, I sincerely hope that you will tell me, because I really love it. It's all written and you'll get a chapter every couple of days until it's done, so unlike other fics in this fandom that I have been writing for two years, I promise this will not be as drawn out as that.
> 
> and yes, because of the fact that it was originally an RPF, Erik's not Jewish in this. It's a very, very, very minor plot thing that has hardly any relevance to the story, so just go with it and pretend otherwise if you must.
> 
> Title and summary are lyrics from the New Politics song 'Tonight You're Perfect' which was the soundtrack to writing this back in 2014.

Erik Lehnsherr was successful. He'd built Lehnsherr Industries from the small investment company he'd started in Germany to a multibillion-dollar company that owned smaller companies all around the world. Millions of people worked for him; millions more wished they did. He had rules for the companies that he owned. No child labor, employees to be paid a wage they could actually live on, restricted hours so no one overworked themselves to the point of exhaustion, a structure of employment that allowed anyone to work their way up from the floor of a factory to the manager's office.

He'd been on magazine covers all over the world. He got invited to every red carpet event, every film premiere. He wasn't the invisible face behind a large corporation; he was a very public figure who tried to maintain true privacy when it came to his personal life.

Which is why what he was currently doing was ridiculously stupid.

Driving through the streets in one of the roughest parts of London at 2 a.m. in his sleek black Mercedes already made him stand out. The fact that he'd already driven down the road about twenty times wasn't helping. But he was here for a specific reason, and he wasn't going to leave until he got what he wanted.

While Erik was currently a few blocks away, another car pulled up on the street Erik had been keeping an eye on. The passenger's side door opened and a young man was practically shoved out of the car onto the sidewalk before the door slammed shut and the car sped away. The young man was to his feet almost instantly, shouting down the road at the driver of the car. 

“Fuck you! And your dick is small!”

One of the other young men across the street called out. “Charles, you alright?”

“Yeah,” Charles said, his English accent filtering through the air. “Fucker just stiffed me.”

“Charles, you idiot!” someone on the next corner over yelled. “You're supposed to get the money up front!”

Charles reached for the packet of cigarettes he kept in his back pocket, pulling one out and lighting it quickly. “You think I don't know that?” he yelled back. “It's hard to do that when as soon as the john turns the corner, he shoves your face onto his cock!”

The chatter on the block fell silent as the black Mercedes turned on to it and drove slowly passed them all. The windows were tinted black, so no one could see inside. 

But Erik could see out of them, and an attractive young man standing underneath a light post came into view. He hadn't been there the previous times he'd cruised down that street, and he almost pulled over right then and there. But just as he was about to, his brain started yelling at him about how stupid this was, and so he just drove right on by.

As soon as the car turned the corner, someone across the street yelled. “That's twenty-one times now! I bet you anything it's an undercover cop!”

Charles took a long drag off his cigarette. “An undercover cop in a car like that? No fucking way. Besides, why would an undercover cop cruise the street twenty-one times without picking anybody up?”

Erik made an immediate right turn on the next block so he could circle back and pick the kid up. Fuck stupidity. He was doing this for one reason and one reason only, and his conscience could just shut up.

Charles leaned up against the light post and watched as the black Mercedes turned back onto the street, silently wondering what whoever was driving it was playing at. But then the car slowed and came to a stop in front of him, and Charles threw the cigarette to the ground and made his way towards it.

Erik took a deep breath and rolled down the passenger's side window, watching as the attractive young man leaned up against it.

“How you doing tonight, baby?” Charles asked, as sultry and sexy as he could get. “Something I can do for you?”

At the sound of the lilt of his voice, Erik swallowed hard. He was wearing a tight mesh shirt and had eyes lined with smudged kohl, glitter in his hair. He was the most gorgeous thing Erik had seen in a long time. “Whatever your nightly rate is,” he said quickly, “I'll double it if you get in the car right now.”

Charles grinned at him. “Anything you want, baby.”

Erik took a deep breath as the passenger's door opened and the young man got inside. He rolled the window up, made sure the young man was buckled in, and sped away. “What's your name?”

Charles broke himself away from staring at the luxury of the inside of the car and put on his working voice again. “Whatever you want it to be, baby.”

“I'll pay you an extra thousand if you stop calling me baby,” Erik said. “And I want to know your real name.”

“Charles,” he said softly. “It's Charles.”

“Well, Charles, I'm Erik,” he said, turning onto the street that would lead to his flat in Kensington. “And I think we're going to have a lot of fun together.”

 _Sure we are._ “Whatever you say,” Charles said, settling into the seat and enjoying how soft the leather was compared to the sticky vinyl of the last motherfucker's car. “It's my job to make sure you have fun.”

“Do you not ever have fun then?” Erik questioned.

Charles just shook his head. “A job's a job. No one really loves their job, do they?”

“I do,” Erik said, reaching for the radio. “And I am just going to have to make you enjoy yours.”

 _Not likely._ “Whatever you say,” Charles murmured. “You're the one paying me.”

Erik sighed and turned the volume up. “We'll be there in a few minutes. Is there any particular kind of champagne you like?”

Charles burst out laughing. “If you think I've ever had a sip of champagne, you're crazy, darling. I'm a hooker, not whatever you are.”

“I could change that,” Erik said, looking over at him.

Charles just shook his head. “No one can change me, darling. Let's just give me my money, do this, and then move on with our lives.”

“It really is just that simple for you, isn't it?”

“Yes. Nothing more than I suspect a business deal is to you.”

Erik sighed. “Do you know who I am?”

“I know you're the guy I see on magazine covers at the newsstand sometimes,” Charles said honestly. “So you're obviously someone important. But I don't know anything else about you, and quite frankly, I don't want to either.”

“Why not?”

“Makes it too personal,” Charles said. “And no more questions. You picked me up for a fuck. That's all this is.”

They both were silent for the rest of the ride to Erik's flat, and soon the car was parked and they were walking towards the door. Erik slid the key into the lock and opened the door, then looked over at Charles. “After you.”

Charles took two steps inside the house before stopping. It was the most extravagant place he'd ever set foot in his life, and he'd done the tour thing at Buckingham Palace once. He glanced behind him to see Erik leaning against the door, loosening his cufflinks. 

“You sure you still don't want to know about me?” Erik asked, taking in Charles's expression.

Charles nodded, unsure of his voice. 

“Well, first, I am going to get us some champagne since you've never had any,” Erik said, walking past him towards the kitchen. “And then, I'll get your money. Would you prefer it all in cash or do you take credit cards?”

Charles couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. He had no idea who this Erik guy was, but he was rather amusing sometimes. “Cash,” Charles called out, walking up to where one of several paintings hung on the wall. It was some sort of landscape scene, a lake with a small cabin next to it, and Charles decided it was probably worth more than all the money he'd ever made in his entire life.

He heard glasses clinking together and Erik was walking back to the entry a moment later, two glasses of champagne and a thick roll of pound notes in his hand. “Here,” Erik said, handing him one of the glasses and the money. “Keep the change.”

Charles's eyes went wide when he realized it was a roll of hundreds, but since the guy before him hadn't paid, and Erik had already told him he would overpay, Charles didn't say a thing. Just brought the glass of champagne up to his lips and took a sip. 

Erik was watching him closely, sipping at his own glass. “Do you like it?”

“Yes,” Charles said, having a larger sip. “Fuck, I never should have ever tasted this, because I'll never ever be able to taste it again.”

“Never say never,” Erik said, walking towards the stairs. “Bedroom's up here.”

Charles stood in the entry long enough to finish drinking the glass, set it down on the small table underneath the painting, then followed Erik upstairs. Erik was leaning in the doorway waiting for him, and Charles shoved the money into his back pocket next to his cigarettes before walking up to him.

“I have some rules.”

“Of course,” Erik said, turning to walk into his bedroom. “What are they?”

“Condoms and lube are required,” Charles said, walking into the bedroom and watching as Erik slid his suit coat off and trying to pretend that he wasn't impressed with his figure. “I don't do barebacking. I'll suck you off if you wear a condom, but your mouth is not touching my dick. Also, no kissing on the mouth.”

Erik started to unbutton his shirt, turning around to look at Charles. “Condoms and lube are a must with me as well. I'm not interested in sucking your dick tonight, but am looking forward to your mouth around mine. And why no kissing on the mouth?”

“Too personal,” Charles said, walking closer to Erik and helping him undo the buttons on his shirt. “Do you agree to my rules?”

“Technically, since I just bought you for the night, you should be agreeing to my rules,” Erik pointed out. “But yes, I do.”

Charles smiled at him. “Good.”

Erik wrapped his arms around Charles as soon as his shirt was off and started walking him back to the bed, hands sliding underneath the mesh shirt to caress warm skin. “I have to confess something first.”

“You've never done this before?”

“Oh, I've done this plenty,” Erik said, pulling the mesh shirt over Charles's head and pushing him onto the bed. “I've just never paid anyone for it before.”

Charles smiled up at him as Erik's hands started to undo his pants. “Just pretend we met in a club,” he said, lifting up his hips when Erik tugged at his pants. “No money has exchanged hands.”

“I'd kiss someone I met at a club,” Erik pointed out before stripping them both of the rest of their clothes. “But you are better looking than anyone I've ever met in a club.”

Charles gasped as Erik was suddenly on top of him, hips grinding together. He felt genuine pleasure go through him for a moment before he shook himself out of it and pushed Erik off of him. Erik gave him a confused look as Charles climbed off the bed, but Charles just grabbed his pants and pulled out the condoms and lube.

“Essentials,” Charles said, tossing them at Erik before climbing back onto the bed. 

Erik just grinned and picked up one of the foil packets, ripping it open with his teeth and getting the latex out. Charles took it from his hands and slid down the bed, wrapping his hand around Erik's cock, which was already hard. He slid the condom onto it and licked his hand, wrapping it around the shaft and lightly running his hand up and down it.

Charles looked up at Erik as he let out a litany of words that were in some different language, and he almost stopped to ask him what language it was until the words 'too personal' started flashing in his mind like a neon sign. So instead he leaned forward and tangled his tongue around the head of his cock before closing his mouth around it, smiling inwardly as he heard Erik gasp. 

Charles sucked on the head gently while his hand continued to move, lapping at it with his tongue, before slowing his hand and taking more of the cock into his mouth. He pulled back and took a deep breath when he realized he'd gotten the breathing wrong initially, and then lowered his mouth again, taking Erik deep.

Erik clenched his fists into the bed linens as Charles began to increase his speed, head bobbing up and down. Charles sucked a little harder as his hand drifted down to play with Erik's balls, rolling them gently between his fingers as Erik wrapped a hand around the back of his head to guide him. It annoyed Charles a little, but when he realized that Erik was doing it gently, instead of being one of the jerks who held him in place so they could fuck his mouth, he didn't mind it that much.

Erik's legs spread wider and Charles crawled in between them, glancing up to see Erik's eyes trained on him before bending down and taking his cock all the way down to the root. Erik groaned and threw his head back as Charles dragged his tongue along the vein on the underside, silently cursing the fact that there was a layer of latex between his flesh and that talented tongue. He thrust his hips up slightly and Charles's hands moved to them, pushing them back to the bed and pinning them there.

Charles started humming and Erik reached up to grab a hold of the headboard, panting out for more. Charles obliged and picked up the pace, increasing the pressure and drawing Erik to his climax.

When Erik felt that he had enough control of himself to reopen his eyes, he found Charles hovering over him, a smile on his face. 

“Wanna fuck me now?”

Erik practically growled as he grabbed Charles and rolled them over. Charles quickly flipped onto his stomach and Erik's hands slid over the slightly too skinny frame, reaching for the lube and pouring some of the sticky liquid onto his fingers. He pressed a couple into Charles, and it didn't take very long to open him up, making Erik wonder how many times he'd already done this that night.

Erik meant to be tender, but as he began to fuck him, he found himself gripping slim hips harder than intended and sinking teeth into the back of a pale shoulder just to hear the hiss from below him. Charles took everything he gave him and begged for more, pushing back to meet Erik's thrusts and arching into the rough caresses, so glad to feel some sort of pain to focus on instead of the pleasure that was threatening to spread through him. Erik stretched out the experience for as long as he could, teasing Charles all the way to the edge and then backing off, waiting until his heart rate had slowed before picking up the pace again until he finally gave into the ecstasy that had been waiting to overtake him.

They collapsed onto the bed and laid pressed together for several moments until Erik pulled away and dropped down to the bed next to Charles. Charles rolled onto his back and looked over at him, and Erik met his gaze.

“You didn't come.”

“I usually don't,” Charles said, protesting when Erik's hand reached over and wrapped around his cock. “I told you, baby, I don't come.”

“I told you I'd pay you an extra thousand if you stopped calling me that,” Erik said, pushing himself up so he was straddling Charles's legs, hand still wrapped around Charles's cock. “Please come for me.”

Charles closed his eyes and gave in to the feeling of Erik's hand stroking him. His fingers were still sticky from the lube so they glided over his skin nicely, and it had been so long since he'd let himself enjoy this that it almost felt wrong. Then he thought of the money in his back pocket and decided that if Erik was going to pay him that much, the least he could do was let the man get him off.

It took longer than it had with the men Erik had been with previously, but soon Charles was writhing beneath him, letting out sounds that Erik wanted to treasure each time Erik slid his hand across the leaking head. Charles didn't hold out much longer, his cock erupting between them, leaving him a shuddering mess on the bed.

Erik climbed off of him and collapsed down next to him as Charles caught his breath. “Did I give you enough money to stay the night?”

Charles just nodded, still lost in pleasure.

“Good. Get some sleep.”

Erik stared at Charles for a moment before closing his eyes. The next time he opened them, sun was streaming in through the opened curtains and Charles was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three weeks since the man in the black Mercedes – _Erik_ , Charles reminded himself, _his name was Erik_ – had driven down the street and while he wasn't surprised, there was part of him that wished he would. And he hated that part of himself, because that's the part he'd trained so hard to forget. 

It was just a fuck. That's all it was. A fuck and a glass of champagne.

And the best orgasm he'd had in years. But that didn't matter.

He was never going to see Erik again, so he might as well just forget about it.

Charles was just getting dropped off by his latest trick when a sleek black Mercedes pulled up behind the trick's car, and Charles felt his heart jump into his throat.

Fuck.

The passenger's side window rolled down, and Charles walked over to it, leaning up against the car. Before he could say a word, Erik looked over at him and spoke. “You know how much money I gave you before? I'll quadruple it if you come with me right now.”

Charles felt his eyes widen but quickly got into the car. As he buckled himself in, Erik began to drive away. Charles looked over at him and took in the tension in Erik's neck, the way he had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel. “Is everything alright?” he asked, then quickly spoke again. “Sorry, that's not something I should ask.”

Erik took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. “The man from my last relationship sold his story to one of the tabloids. I'm furious and I need distraction and you're going to give it to me.”

Charles took that information in. “I'd never sell information about you doing this to the tabloids,” he said after a moment. “Client confidentiality and all that.”

“Good,” Erik said, glancing over at him. “Will you let me tie you to my bed? Or does that go against your rules?”

Charles laughed. “So long as it's not so tight I have bruises around my wrists, you can do whatever you want, baby.”

“The extra thousand for not calling me that still stands,” Erik said. “And quite frankly, I just want a pliant body underneath me tonight. Someone I can use.”

“Use and abuse,” Charles said, sucking in a deep breath. “I'm more used to that than you think.”

“No,” Erik said. “Not abuse. Just use. And then I want to untie you and wrap you up in my arms and fall asleep with you. And I would prefer you be there in the morning this time.”

“I cannot do that,” Charles said softly. “I don't spend the night ever.”

Erik took that information in. “What if I paid you more? Would you then?”

Charles stared at Erik like he was insane. “I'm not worth that amount of money, darling. Not that I won't take it, because I will. I've got a lot of debts to pay. But I'm not worth the amount you gave me before, and I sure as hell am not worth the quadruple you offered me.”

Erik kept his eyes on the road. “I think you were worth every penny. Are worth. Tell me about these debts.”

“Oh, you know, typical stuff,” Charles said. “Drugs, rent, alcohol, cigarettes. Mostly drugs and rent.”

“How much do you owe?” 

“More than I care to tell you,” Charles said. “Can we just leave it there?”

“What kind of drugs?”

“Whatever makes me not feel,” Charles said softly. “You're asking too many questions.”

“Fine.” 

They both remained silent until they were inside Erik's flat, and as soon as the door was closed and locked, Erik started to undress himself. “If you're a good boy,” Erik said as he walked up the stairs, “I'll give you another glass of champagne.”

Charles bit back a smile and climbed up the stairs, following Erik into his room and shutting the door. Erik tossed his jacket onto a chair then pinned Charles up against the door, leaning in close. 

“No kissing, remember,” Charles said shakily.

“I remember,” Erik whispered, burying his face in the nape of Charles's neck and inhaling. He smelt like a mixture of cologne and sex, and Erik couldn't help but wonder what he'd smell like fresh out of the shower.

They stood there for a moment before Erik pulled them away from the door, stopping by the bed and continued to undress himself. Charles reached for the bottom of his threadbare shirt, but Erik's hand came out to stop him. 

“Let me,” Erik said, stripping his shirt off before dropping to his knees in front of Charles. 

Charles gasped as Erik's lips kissed every inch of exposed skin as he slowly moved the shirt up, until Erik was standing again and pulling the shirt over Charles's head. Charles's pants were undone in an instant, dropping to the floor. 

Erik smiled when he realized Charles wasn't wearing any underwear. “You're naughty.”

“I'm practical,” Charles countered. “And you're wearing too many clothes.”

Erik stripped off the rest of his clothes in a heartbeat, then pushed Charles onto the bed. Charles saw the condoms and lube already there, then scrambled around until he was in the right position to to be tied up, stretching his hands above his head. “Whenever you're ready, darling.”

Erik let out a low growl and straddled Charles's hips, reaching up to tie one silk tie around each of Charles's wrists. “Can you move?”

Charles tried moving his arms. “No.”

“Too tight?”

Charles just smiled at him. “Nope.”

Erik grinned and began attacking the expanse of pale skin laid out in front of him. He licked, he nipped, he sucked, he kissed, and he drew moan after moan out of Charles's mouth. Charles was horrified by the fact that he was enjoying this, by the fact that Erik could draw this part of him out from where it had lied dormant for so long. 

He didn't want to feel, but Erik made him.

Erik slowly made his way down Charles's body, carefully avoiding the cock that was rapidly hardening and starting to leak at the top. Charles shuddered beneath him as he felt Erik's breath on it, so close yet so far away from using his mouth to bring Charles the ultimate pleasure. 

Dammit, he was not supposed to be enjoying this.

Charles closed his eyes so he couldn't see Erik, automatically spreading his legs apart when Erik nudged them. He felt Erik pull away for a brief moment, and then there were fingers pressing into him and fuck, it felt so good. The fingers started to thrust in and out, curving them every time in an attempt to fin—

“Holy fuck!” Charles yelled out as Erik's fingers found his prostate, feeling his orgasm tear through him.

When he felt coherent again, he heard a foil packet opening and Erik chuckling. “I knew I could get you to come.”

“Fucking arsehole,” Charles cursed, his English accent very pronounced. “You could have given me some warning.”

“Whats the fun with that?” Erik said, lifting Charles's legs up and wrapping them around his waist. “Ready for me?”

“Fuck yes,” Charles breathed out as Erik pressed into him. He tried to reach down to pull Erik closer, but then he remembered his hands were tied, and he groaned and wiggled around, trying to get himself free.

A hand came down upon one of his wrists and held him there. “You said I could do this, so stop.”

Charles looked up at Erik and saw the desire in his eyes, and he immediately relaxed. Erik wasn't going to hurt him. He didn't know why he trusted the other man, but he did.

Erik wouldn't hurt him.

Erik grinned as Charles went pliant beneath him, and he started to thrust. Charles looked even better than he had that first night, still with glitter in his hair and smudged kohl around his eyes. There was a hint of red lipstick on his lips, and Erik desperately wanted to catch them with his own, to plunder that mouth with his tongue, kiss him as deeply as he could.

But Charles had rules, and Erik respected that.

Charles was limp in his arms, his legs opened as wide as they possibly could be. Erik lifted him up and started to thrust harder, closing his eyes and letting the pleasure wash over him.

It didn't matter that Charles was a streetwalker, he decided. This was the best sex he'd ever had in his life.

He opened his eyes to see Charles's face contorted with pleasure, and that was all it took for him to fall over the edge into bliss. He collapsed onto Charles and laid there for awhile, before pulling away and shifting off of him. He reached up and undid the ties around Charles's hands, and then pulled him close, kissing his wrists.

Charles let Erik do what he wanted with him, knowing that this was probably the last time he'd ever see the man. Men like Erik came around once, maybe twice, but then they stopped. This was twice now, and Erik was definitely not coming back.

Eventually Erik let go of him, pulling a pillow underneath his head and looking at Charles sleepily. “Your money is in the top drawer of that dresser,” he said, pointing to one of the room's pieces of furniture. “Don't forget to take it before you leave.”

“I won't,” Charles said, reaching out to run his fingers through Erik's hair. “Sleep.”

Erik closed his eyes, and as soon as he knew Erik was asleep, Charles crawled out of the bed, got dressed, took the money, and left.


	3. Chapter 3

When the black Mercedes pulled up again two weeks later, Charles wasn't standing alone underneath the lamp post. One of the others was there with him, Frankie he thought his name was, and Charles was seriously worried about getting into that car again. Erik made him feel, and that was the absolute last thing he ever wanted to do. He hated feeling.

So he sent Frankie over to the car instead. Told him the guy was nice, paid well, and wouldn't hurt him.

As soon as he leaned into the window, Erik sighed. “I'm sure you're very capable, but tell Charles that every minute he avoids getting into this car, I'm deducting a thousand off of what I'm going to pay him.”

Frankie wandered back to Charles and relayed the message, and Charles swallowed hard and took one last drag off his cigarette before walking over to the car. He opened the door and got inside, buckled himself in, and said nothing as Erik rolled the window up and began to drive away.

“What was that?” Erik said, glancing over at him. “You don't want to do this with me anymore?”

The word no was on Charles's lips, but it never escaped. “It's not that.”

“Then what is it?” Erik asked. “Am I not paying you enough?”

“You're paying me plenty,” Charles said softly. “I could probably go six months off the street with all the money you've paid me already.”

“Then why don't you?”

“Because this is the only thing I know how to do,” Charles said, glancing over at Erik. “Just like I'm sure investing is the only thing you know how to do.”

Erik sighed heavily. “Which magazine did you buy?”

“There were a few,” Charles admitted.

“What happened to knowing that stuff being too personal?”

“I don't know,” Charles whispered. “It just did.”

Erik reached over and put his hand on Charles's knee. “Would it scare you if I told you I can't get you out of my head?”

It should freak Charles out. Clients that get too attached were the worst type of clients there was. They started to get complacent after awhile, started to get bolder, started to get rougher. The last time he'd had a client like that, he'd ended up in the hospital. That was another debt he was still trying to pay back.

But Erik didn't scare him. And somehow that was worse than ending up in the hospital had been, because he couldn't get Erik out of his head either.

“No,” Charles said after a minute. “It doesn't. Is that why you turned down Frankie earlier?”

“If I wanted sex, Charles, I could easily get it without paying for it,” Erik said, looking over at him as they stopped at a red light. “I was trying out something new the night we met. I've come back because of you.”

Charles swallowed hard. “That's not how this is supposed to work.”

“I know,” Erik said, watching as the light turned and driving again. “How much do I have to pay you to stay a week?”

“A week?” Charles spluttered out. “You're not serious.”

“I'm dead serious,” Erik said, glancing over at him. “Either you let me pay you for the whole week, or I'll be there to pick you up every night.”

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Charles murmured. “I don't think tonight was a good idea either.”

“I know you try to shut yourself off from the world, Charles,” Erik said, and Charles thought his name on Erik's lips was the most attractive thing ever. “But you can't tell me that I'm the only one who feels this way.”

Charles closed his eyes and relaxed back into the seat. _Lie. Lie, lie, lie._ “No, you're not.”

Erik grinned at that. “Then how much for the week?”

“Whatever you think it's worth,” Charles said, sliding his fingers underneath his legs to keep from reaching towards Erik. “I don't think I can calculate that.”

Erik just nodded. “Alright then.”

They rode in silence the rest of the way, and it was only broken once they were inside the flat and Erik pulled Charles towards the kitchen. “Champagne?”

“Do you drink that every night?” Charles asked. “Are you really that extravagantly rich?”

“I have a taste for it,” Erik said, letting go of Charles's hand and heading for the refrigerator. “And if your reaction when you first tasted it means anything, I think you do as well.”

Charles stayed silent until Erik handed him a flute of champagne. “You really want me here for a week? Because I will probably drink all of that bottle.”

Erik laughed and took a long sip. “There's plenty more where that came from, so drink all you want.”

They stood there until both of their glasses were finished, and then Erik pulled Charles to him. “I would really love to know how champagne tastes on your lips.”

Charles shuddered in Erik's embrace, overwhelmed by feelings that he'd tried to suppress for years. He knew better than to feel this way. He knew he was never deserving of someone's affection, let alone what was reflecting in Erik's eyes. Men like Erik didn't love men like him. 

But hell, this had already gotten way out of control. So why the fuck not?

Charles nodded slightly and then Erik leaned forward and captured his lips. Charles went weak in Erik's arms, so long it had been since he'd kissed anyone, but Erik just tightened his grip on him, keeping him upright. Erik's tongue started playing with Charles's lips, and he opened his mouth into the kiss, letting Erik explore deep. 

By the time they broke apart for air, Charles was so weak he thought he'd probably agree to anything.

Fuck, this was a huge problem.

Erik grinned at him and led him from the kitchen, but they didn't head to Erik's bedroom, but some sort of sitting room instead. Erik brought them near the sofa and pulled Charles to him, reconnecting their lips for another kiss. Charles found himself unable to stop what was happening, not because it was something he didn't want to have happen, but because it was. 

Erik's hands slid into Charles's pockets, finding a foil packet and a tube of lube, then tossed them onto the sofa. He broke the kiss long enough to get Charles's shirt off, and Charles got the hint because he started working Erik's clothes off too. 

Once they were naked, Erik sat down on the sofa and pulled Charles into his lap, kissing him long and deep. He fumbled around with the condom for a moment before handing the packet to Charles, and then he let his head lay down on the sofa back. 

“I want you to ride me,” Erik said, his voice low and sultry and Charles had never wanted to have sex more in his life.

Charles quickly worked the condom onto Erik's dick, then reached for the lube. He fumbled with the lid until a ton of the sticky liquid spilled out onto his fingers. He kept his eyes fixed on Erik's as he reached behind himself, letting out a gasp as he pressed two fingers inside himself. 

Erik had never been more turned on in his life. He wrapped his arms around Charles's waist and leaned forward, nipping and licking at the skin on offer, until Charles pushed him back with his free hand. He bent down for a kiss as he wrapped his sticky hand around Erik's cock and guided it inside of him.

They both shuddered from the pleasure of it.

Charles didn't want to feel pleasure, didn't want to feel any of this, but he couldn't help himself. Erik had somehow worked his way beneath Charles's shields and Charles was in so much trouble because Erik was going to realize one day soon that Charles was worthless and it would break him when it did.

In the meantime, Charles braced himself against Erik's shoulders, and began to work himself up and down. Erik groaned and let his hands come to a rest on Charles's hips, guiding him. Erik went deeper with every thrust, and Charles was reminded of why he always tried to avoid this position.

It turned him on too much.

Erik's hand came up to wrap around Charles's cock, and he started stroking him in time with their thrusts. Charles threw his head back as Erik finally worked his way completely inside of him, pausing for a few moments to take in the feeling. 

He started moving again and leaned forward, bringing their lips together in a hard kiss. Erik kept up the strokes of his hand, and then Charles shifted and Erik was hitting his prostate with every thrust and he was so damn close to euphoria and he just couldn't let himself give in to it.

Then Erik ran his thumb over the head of Charles's dick, and Charles exploded into climax, Erik following him moments later.

They were a sticky mess tangled together when Charles returned to reality, and he let Erik kiss him again before putting his head on Erik's shoulder. “How expensive is this sofa anyway?”

“One of kind, handmade, with Italian leather? Thousands of pounds. Don't remember the exact price. Why?”

Charles just laughed and kissed the nape of Erik's neck. “Because I don't think I've ever fucked on something so expensive before. Much better than fumbling around in the backseat of a car.”

Erik laughed and brought Charles into another kiss. “Ready for round two?”

Charles groaned at the thought. “And where would we be having that?”

Erik grinned at him. “If you can stand the cold, hard surface, I was thinking the marble countertop in the kitchen. We can even have champagne while we're doing it.”

Charles took a deep breath before forcing himself off of Erik, standing on shaky legs. “I'm up for whatever you want,” he said. “You're the one paying me.”

“I don't want you to mention that,” Erik said, pulling Charles to him for another kiss. “Please.”

Charles stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

He was in so much fucking trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Charles woke up alone in Erik's bed, and as he stretched, he groaned softly from the soreness. But it was a good soreness, the kind of soreness that meant he'd worked a lot the night before, the kind that told him he'd made a lot of money.

Erik had been his only client of the night.

He rolled over onto his back and took a look at the clock and decided Erik must have left for work. He slid out of bed and looked around for his clothes, only to find some different clothes on a chair with a note on top of them.

_Wear these. - E_

Charles sighed, knowing he would feel much more comfortable in clothes of his own, but did as Erik asked and put the clothes on. He was surprised by how well they fit him, and he wondered when it was Erik had bought clothes that seemed to be meant specifically for him.

He left the bedroom and walked downstairs, and when he got to the bottom of the stairs, he heard Erik's voice echoing through the halls. He followed it and found an office, Erik sitting behind the desk in it, talking on the phone. He looked up when Charles appeared in the doorway and waved him in, so Charles went inside and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

He could tell Erik was in the middle of some kind of business deal from the way he was talking, so he just sat there, looking around the room. It was spacious, decorated in varying tones of gray, and had paintings hanging on every wall. He didn't even want to know how much just the stuff inside that room was worth, let alone the rest of the flat. 

Erik Lehnsherr was an incredibly rich man, so what he wanted with a lowlife piece of scum that sold himself on the streets like Charles, he had no clue.

Erik's phone call wrapped up and soon they were staring at each other, a large grin on Erik's face. “I enjoyed waking up next to you this morning.”

Charles just nodded. “Well, you're the one who wants me here for a week, so...”

“What's your last name?” Erik asked.

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me,” Erik said. “Come on, you apparently learned stuff about me since the last time we saw each other. Let me learn something about you.”

“You don't want to know about me,” Charles said, shaking his head. “I am nothing to a man like you.”

Erik's tone suddenly got serious. “If you were nothing to me, Charles, you wouldn't be here. Now, I'm going to ask again. What is your last name?”

“Xavier,” Charles muttered. “Charles Xavier.”

Erik smiled. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”

“You have no idea,” Charles said, crossing his arms in front of his stomach. “So, when do you want to fuck again?”

Erik glanced up from the paperwork he'd started to look at. “Excuse me?”

“That's what I'm here for, isn't it?” Charles asked softly. “To be your private sex slave for a week?”

Erik stood up and walked around the desk, sitting on the edge of it. “No, it's not. It's because if I have you here with me, I don't have to worry about someone else hurting you. Don't think I haven't noticed the bruises on you, Charles. Don't think I don't know how you got them either.”

Charles wanted to curl in on himself and pretend none of this was happening. Except he didn't, because he wanted it to be happening. It had been so long since someone cared about him. “Why me?” he got out, refusing to meet Erik's gaze. “You could have anyone in the world. Why me?”

“I don't know exactly,” Erik said honestly. “But I've known since the first night.”

“I am the last person in the world that you should want,” Charles said, standing up and heading for the door. “Trust me on that.”

Erik ran to the door and blocked it so Charles couldn't escape. He reached out and caressed the side of Charles's face before pulling him into an embrace. “What happened to you, Charles? What broke you?”

“I don't tell anyone that,” Charles said seriously.

“I just want to help you,” Erik said, and Charles forced his way out of his embrace.

“I don't need your fucking help.”

Erik stood there as Charles walked out of the office, then turned to follow him. “Charles, wait.”

Charles made his way back upstairs, throwing back the bedsheets and crawling in. He just wanted to hide from the world, especially Erik. He wasn't good at feelings, that's why he tried to make sure he didn't have any. If Erik wanted nothing but sex from him, everything would be fine. 

But Erik wanted more than that, and everything was not fine.

Erik walked into the room and watched as Charles curled himself around a pillow before walking over to the bed and sitting down on it. “I'm sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Charles murmured. “You mean well. You just have no idea what you're getting into.”

Erik shifted himself so he was leaning against the headboard, his legs stretched out before him. And he started talking about his family, about his father and his mother, about how they'd tried to make it work but then one day his father had taken off and was never heard from again. He told Charles about the way he'd lost himself in sex after that, about how he didn't want to feel anything ever again, that he'd ruined every relationship he'd ever been in because of it, and he would probably ruin what was between them too. But he didn't want to. He wanted Charles to want to be there, to want to stay, but he understood if Charles wanted to leave.

Charles just laid there, listening to every word.

Erik got up eventually, opened up the top dresser drawer that he'd kept the money in previously, and set it on top of the dresser. “If you really want to leave, here's your payment. But I really hope you don't, because you're the first person that's made me want to feel in a really long time.”

Erik left the room and Charles stayed in bed, trying to process everything Erik had said. Eventually he threw the bedsheets back and walked over to the dresser, picking up the notes that were there. He flicked through them quickly, counted them up in his head, and got dizzy when he realized Erik had left him fifty-thousand pounds.

Part of him wanted to take the money and run. That was enough money to get him off the streets for good. He could live off that money for awhile, clean up his act, find a real job. 

Instead he opened the dresser drawer, put the money back into it, and walked out of the room. He found Erik downstairs in the office, and he bypassed the chairs in front of the desk to go sit on Erik's lap. Erik wrapped his arms around Charles's waist, holding him close. 

They sat there for what felt like hours, but was probably no more than thirty minutes, before Erik's phone rang. Charles tried to move but Erik kept him right there, reaching out with one hand to answer the phone. Charles let his head come to a rest on Erik's shoulder, and he closed his eyes. He listened to Erik talk about things he didn't understand, about a factory in Bangladesh and a small bank in Nairobi, and he let Erik's voice lull him to sleep.

He awoke to the feeling of a kiss being placed on the top of his head, and he shifted around so he could catch Erik's lips in a kiss. It deepened quickly, Charles made to feel weak again, and when they broke apart for air, Erik pulled him close and whispered in his ear.

“I've always wanted to bend someone over this desk and fuck them into oblivion.”

This Charles could handle. This Charles was used to. This Charles knew how to do. So he nodded enthusiastically and Erik opened the top desk drawer, pulling out condoms and lube before forcing Charles to stand up. 

Charles quickly whipped his shirt over his head and tossed it somewhere behind him, reaching for the buttons on Erik's shirt and undoing them. Erik's hands were busy with Charles's pants, and soon they had stripped away all the offending clothes and were locked in a passionate embrace. Erik's hand drifted between them and wrapped around both their cocks, and Charles let out a long moan at the feeling. 

Erik stroked them both for a few minutes, then flipped Charles around towards the desk and bent him over it, holding him down with one hand while he managed to get lube on his fingers with the other. Erik plunged two fingers into him roughly, and Charles reveled in it, groaning as Erik worked them in and out at a fast pace. The hand holding him down disappeared, and he heard the familiar rip of a foil packet. A few moments later, the fingers disappeared and Erik slid himself in to the hilt, making Charles writhe beneath him. 

The hand holding him down came back, and Erik's other hand held on to his hip, and Erik fucked him for all he was worth. The pace was fast and hard, Charles enjoying the feeling of being held down far more than he ever had before. His cock was trapped between the desk and his body and when he tried to lean up enough to work his hand in to touch it, Erik pressed him down harder.

Then Erik changed the angle and started hitting Charles's prostate with every thrust, and Charles turned into a shuddering, screaming mess beneath him. 

Erik enjoyed every fucking second of it.

He ran his hand up into Charles's hair, gripping on to it and pulling his head back so he could hear the sounds coming from Charles more clearly. And they were beautifully delicious sounds, the type that Erik loved making his partners make, but these were better than anyone else's ever had been.

Charles felt the world slipping from around him and then it exploded and he came violently, his cock still trapped. Erik thrust a few more times before letting himself climax. He leaned over Charles and pressed kisses to his back for several moments before pulling out and collapsing down onto the chair. 

Charles tried to stand up but wavered, and Erik's hands were immediately around his waist, guiding him into his lap, pulling him into a deep kiss. When they broke apart, Charles put his head on Erik's shoulder and sucked in several deep breaths. Then he glanced over at the desk and started to laugh.

“I think I ruined your paperwork.”

Erik laughed and reached out, picking up a piece of paper that was now coated with the results of Charles's orgasm. “Nah, I think you made it better.”

Charles laughed again as Erik brought him up into another kiss, and it wasn't long before they were both hard and aching again. The kiss broke and Charles looked at Erik through lust-filled eyes.

“Where now?”

Erik just grinned. “Wherever the fuck you want.”

Charles's knees went weak just at the thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Charles stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, not quite ready to walk out into the bedroom and let Erik see him. The reflection staring back wasn't Charles the whore. This was Charles as he really was, soft brown hair and clean skin, no kohl around his eyes, the glitter gone. 

The Charles he knew no one would ever be able to love.

He took a deep breath and headed for the door, walking into the bedroom. He kept his face turned away as he walked towards the bed, stripping the towel from around his waist before crawling between the sheets. 

Erik watched him carefully, wondering why on earth Charles wouldn't look at him. He set the papers he was reading through on the bedside table and reached for him, pulling Charles flush against him. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Charles said, burying his face in the pillow.

“Have I hurt you?” Erik asked, concern in his voice. They had had sex multiple times that day, and though he knew Charles was used to a lot of sex, there had been more than a few times when carnal instinct had taken over and Erik had been rougher than he'd intended.

Charles just shook his head into the pillow, making Erik lose his patience. Erik rolled Charles over until he was flat on his back with Erik straddling him, and Erik watched as Charles immediately brought his hands up to cover his face.

That's when it clicked.

“Do you think I'm not going to find you beautiful because you don't have makeup on?” Erik asked softly, closing his hands around Charles's wrists and moving his hands away from his face.

Charles closed his eyes immediately. “I feel naked like this,” he practically whispered. “I've never let a trick see me like this before.”

Erik brought Charles's hands up to his mouth, pressing kisses to each of his fingers. “I'm not a trick though, am I?”

Charles's eyes stayed closed as Erik leaned down and kissed him languidly. “You are though,” he said once the kiss was broken. “The only reason why I'm here is because you're paying me to be.”

Erik pulled away angrily, climbing out of the bed and reaching for his pants. “That's not why I want you to be here,” he said forcefully. “So take the money in the drawer and fucking leave.”

Charles sighed as he heard Erik stalk out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He hadn't meant to anger him, he just wanted to reestablish some boundaries. He should have known that Erik wouldn't take that well at all, but Erik's feelings shouldn't matter to him.

Except for the fact that they did.

Charles pulled the sheets back and climbed from the bed, finding a pair of pants to put on before leaving the room and going to find Erik. He found him sitting in the sitting room on the sofa, smoking something that was most definitely not a cigarette.

Charles walked over and sat down next to him, glancing over at what was now obviously a joint. “I didn't know you smoked.”

“Only when I need it,” Erik said. “I need to mellow out tonight.”

Charles shifted around until his head was in Erik's lap, and he reached out and plucked the joint out of Erik's hand, taking a long hit off it. “Good shit,” he murmured as he gave it back to Erik.

“Yes,” Erik said, “yes it is.”

Charles took a deep breath. “I'm sorry. You're not just another trick. I never should have said that. But you've got to understand, Erik, this goes against every single thing that is supposed to happen when I climb into somebody's car.”

“I understand that,” Erik said, taking a drag and then handing the joint to Charles. “But you still got into my car anyway.”

Charles took a drag off the joint and passed it back to Erik. “Yes,” he murmured. “I did.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I suppose so,” Charles said. “What kind of question is it?”

Erik took a long drag off the joint. “When was the last time you were tested?”

Charles sighed. “I don't know, to be honest. Years probably.”

Erik set the joint to the side and pulled Charles up, kissing him soundly. “If I paid for it, would you get tested for me?”

“We're using condoms,” Charles said quickly. “What difference does it make?”

Erik ran his fingers through Charles's soft hair, smiling at him. “I'm concerned about your health.”

“I'm fine,” Charles started to protest, but Erik shushed him with a kiss. 

“For me. Please. I'll even get tested too if it will make you feel better.”

Charles knew he was fighting a losing battle, so he just nodded. Erik smiled at him and pulled him into a kiss.

“I will arrange for it then,” Erik murmured, letting his hand caress the side of Charles's face. “You are beautiful like this. More beautiful than with makeup on and glitter in your hair, even though you're gorgeous like that too.”

Charles felt his cheeks flush. “You don't have to lie to keep me here,” he said. “I'm here.”

“I'm not lying,” Erik said, wrapping his hand around Charles's neck and pulling him into a deeper kiss. “God, Charles, what have you done to me? I've never been like this with anyone before.”

Charles let his head come to rest on Erik's shoulder. “I don't know,” he whispered. “But whatever it is, you've done it to me too.”

“I know that we've had sex a lot today,” Erik murmured. “But I really want to take you to bed and worship you. Can you handle it?”

“Why would you want to worship me?” Charles asked. “I'm nobody.”

“No you're not,” Erik said, pulling them both into a standing position. “You're Charles Xavier, and you mean something.”

Charles almost let tears form in his eyes but stopped them from coming. “I can handle it,” he said softly. “Not rough, I can't handle rough. But slow I can do.”

“Then it's a good thing that slow is what I want, isn't it?”

Charles let himself be lead out of the room and towards the stairs, and he briefly wondered why he was going through with this. But then he remembered Erik. Dear, sweet Erik who wanted nothing but the best for him.

He was falling hard for Erik. And that was going to make everything worse when the week was up and it was time for Charles to leave.

As he walked into the bedroom, he wondered how it was possible to break someone that was already broken. He guessed he was going to find out.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Charles was sitting in Erik's office watching him go through paperwork when he heard the doorbell ring. 

“That'll be Hank,” Erik said, walking around the desk and taking Charles by the hand. “Come on.”

Charles followed along warily. “Who's Hank?”

“Hank is my personal assistant,” Erik said as they walked through the halls. “He's here to get blood samples to test us.”

Charles immediately stopped walking. “You were serious about that?”

“Of course I was,” Erik said, turning back to Charles. “I would trust Hank with my life, Charles. He is a person of utmost discretion, he won't ask a thing about you.”

“How can a personal assistant be trusted to get blood samples?” Charles asked, his voice wavering. “Shouldn't we go to an actual clinic for that?”

“There's a nurse with him,” Erik said, his tone indicating that should have been obvious. “From my doctor's office. She's signed a confidentiality agreement with me, and trust me, she's found far worse in this house than another man.”

“I'm not another man,” Charles said. “I'm a whore.”

Erik walked over to Charles and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Not to me, you aren't. And no one would be able to tell if you were by looking at you now. So come on.”

Charles followed along to the entry, Erik refusing to let go of his hand as he opened the door.

“Hank, Raven! Thanks for coming over.”

“Happy to do it,” Hank said, walking into the house and smiling at Charles. “Hi, I'm Hank. You must be Charles.”

Charles looked at Hank's outstretched hand before slowly shaking it. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Raven,” Erik said, drawing Charles's attention to the woman carrying a medical bag.

“Hi Charles,” Raven said, reaching out to shake his hand. “I hope you're not scared of needles.”

Charles just shook his head. Erik smiled and started to walk away. “Shall we do this in the sitting room then?”

Charles followed Erik, reaching out for his hand again, and Erik grasped it tightly, fully aware of the fact that Charles was very uncomfortable with the situation. He tugged Charles forward until they were next to one another, then let go of his hand to wrap his arm around Charles's waist.

“It's okay, Charles,” Erik whispered in his ear. “Trust me.”

Charles just nodded. Trust Erik. He was starting to believe he actually could.

They went into the sitting room and Erik pulled Charles down onto the same sofa they'd fucked on, and Charles felt his face flush. Erik just grinned at him, knowing what was going through Charles's mind. He wrapped an arm around Charles's shoulders and pulled him close.

“We can do it again after they leave if you want,” Erik whispered seductively. “Except this time I think I want to see you writhing on the leather. Would you do that for me?”

Charles swallowed hard as Raven sat down next to him. He nodded and Erik let go of him, and he sat upright, looking over at Raven. “So, um,” he started. “What do we do?”

“I just need you to roll up your sleeve,” Raven said, reaching into her bag to take out a syringe and other supplies. 

Charles nodded and did as she asked as she put a pair of gloves on, and then Raven wrapped a tourniquet tightly around his upper arm. She tapped at the area around his elbow for a few moments, then reached for a antiseptic wipe. She cleaned the area and then reached for the syringe, tapping the area one more time before pressing the needle into Charles's arm. 

She pushed a vile onto the syringe after a moment, and Charles watched as it began to fill up with blood. She undid the tourniquet as the blood continued to flow, then popped the vile off of the syringe and set it to the side. She reached for a cotton ball and held it to where the needle was, pressing it against Charles's skin as she pulled the needle out. The needle immediately went into a separate pocket of the bag, and then she stretched a piece of tape over the cotton ball. 

“There we go, all done,” Raven said, smiling at him. “That wasn't so bad, was it?”

Charles shook his head. “No.”

Raven smiled at him, then turned her gaze to Erik. “Alright, Mr. Lehnsherr. Your turn.” 

Erik stood up and motioned for Charles to move over, then sat down where Charles had been. Charles leaned into his side as Raven repeated the same process with Erik, and soon she was packing everything away. “How long till we hear anything, Raven?”

“Should have results in about 48 hours,” Raven said, standing up and reaching for her bag. “If anything shows up, I'll call. Otherwise, I'll just send Hank the results.”

Erik nodded and stood up, pulling Charles up with him. “Thanks for coming here, Raven.”

“I'm always here whenever you need me, Mr. Lehnsherr,” Raven said, looking over at Hank. “A ride back to the office please?”

“Of course,” Hank said, smiling at her. “Anything else you need boss?”

“Postpone my meetings for the rest of the week,” Erik said. “I want to have a bit of a break.”

“Will do. It was nice meeting you, Charles,” Hank said before leading Raven out of the room and then out of the flat.

Erik turned to Charles and pulled him into his arms. “Thank you for doing that for me.”

“You're probably right,” Charles said, breathing in Erik's scent. “I probably did need that test.”

Erik smiled. “This way, we'll both know where we stand, and if any medical treatment is necessary.”

Charles took a deep breath. “Even if medical treatment is necessary for me, I'm not going to get it.”

“Charles,” Erik said, pulling him back so he could look at him.

“You think I can afford continuous medical treatment?” Charles asked. “I'm still trying to pay off the thousands of pounds I owe from the last time I ended up in the hospital.”

“I'll pay for it,” Erik said automatically, but Charles just shook his head. 

“I do not want to be indebted to you anymore than I already am,” Charles said. “I've tried telling you, Erik. I'm not worth trying to save.”

Erik grasped Charles's face with both hands, forcing him to look at him. “You really don't understand, do you?” he asked softly. “Do you really not get how I feel about you?”

“I'm not worth it, Erik,” Charles said, resignation in his voice. “Men like you don't fall in love with whores like me.”

Erik pulled Charles into a hard kiss. “I am not like other men, Charles. And you are not a whore.”

“Do you even realize how many people I've had sex with in my life?” Charles asked, laughing slightly. “Trust me, Erik. I am a whore. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I do not care how many people you've had sex with,” Erik said honestly. “It's not exactly like I can count the number of sexual partners I've had on both hands either. But you know what drives me absolutely crazy, Charles? The idea of someone else having sex with you after this.”

“It's going to happen,” Charles said. “It's what I do.”

Erik pulled him into another kiss, resting their foreheads together. “I don't want you to leave,” he practically whispered. “I want you to want to stay here with me forever.”

Charles let his eyes drift closed. This was his chance to tell Erik that he could never do that, that Erik was just wasting his time on Charles, that he was a lost cause that no one could ever save.

Instead he pulled Erik into a hard kiss. “I believe you said something about wanting me writhing on the leather sofa?”

Erik took the change of subject for what it was, and then reached down to pull Charles's shirt over his head. “You'll look so beautiful in contrast to the leather,” he murmured. “Your skin flushed, your eyes full of desire, your cock aching for me. Do you want that, Charles? Do you want me to fuck you on the sofa, drive you to the brink of insanity and then back off, then drive you there again, and do it over and over and over until you're begging me to let you come? Do you want me to possess you completely?”

Charles shuddered at his words and ripped Erik's shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. “Please,” he begged. “Please, Erik.”

Erik quickly stripped them of the rest of their clothes and pushed Charles onto the sofa, climbing on top of him and kissing him hard. Charles groaned loudly when Erik ground their hips together, his cock already rock hard just from Erik's words. He moaned when Erik pulled away, watching through lust-filled eyes as Erik opened a drawer from the side table and pulled out condoms and lube.

“Do you have that stashed in every room?” Charles asked, his voice desperate with need.

“You want to find out?” Erik asked, dropping the foil packets and tube onto Charles's chest and bending down to kiss him again.

“Yes,” Charles breathed out. “God yes.”

Erik started to kiss his way down Charles's body, wrapping a hand around Charles's cock and stroking it slowly. “Do you know what I really want to do?” he asked, punctuating each word with a kiss. “I want to suck you off.”

Charles yelped as Erik nipped at the skin just above his navel and threw his head back. “That violates one of my rules.”

“So does kissing,” Erik said. “But you let me do that.”

Charles moaned incoherently as Erik ran his hand across the head of his leaking cock.

“I'll put a condom on you,” Erik said softly. “Please let me do this.”

Charles tried to muster the courage to tell him no, but the pleasure took over his brain and he nodded. “Okay.”

Erik practically growled as he reached for one of the condoms and tore the package open, quickly rolling the latex over Charles's dick. “Thank you,” Erik said as he licked around the head. “You have no idea how much I've wanted to do this.”

Charles gasped as Erik closed his mouth around the head and began to suck, and his vision started to go black. This was going to kill him. Charles Xavier died whilst having sex. He could see that happening one day, just not like this.

Erik took more of him into his mouth, slowly bobbing up and down, his tongue sliding along the latex, wishing he could feel Charles's flesh. But he would take what he could get, and Charles was letting him have this, and god, it was so good.

Charles let out a scream when Erik suddenly took him in to the hilt, and Erik grinned around his cock. He picked up the pace, letting his hand come up to play with Charles's balls. Charles was begging now, begging to be allowed to come, almost crying when Erik's hand closed around the bottom of his cock, blocking his orgasm.

“I told you,” Erik said after he let Charles's cock slip from his lips. “I was going to drive you to the brink of insanity and then let off, then drive you there again, and let off again. I'm going to do it for as long as I can get away with it. And then you're going to come harder than you've ever come in your life.”

Charles looked up at him with wild eyes as Erik let go of his cock and reached for another condom, sucking in deep breaths as he watched Erik put it on himself. The lube was the next to disappear off his chest, and then there were two fingers inside him, stretching him out, teasing him open. It didn't take long – it never did – and then Erik was sliding into him, his hand coming up to wrap around the bottom of Charles's cock again.

“Do you think you can be a good boy and not come?” Erik said, his voice sultry and heavy. “Or do I have to keep making you not come?”

Charles forced himself into some deep breaths, and tried to collect himself. He'd had clients before that wanted to dictate when he came, and since he hardly ever did, it had been easy to do. But Erik was different – sex with Erik was different – and he didn't know if he could do it. 

But he was going to fucking try.

“I'll be a good boy,” he forced out, and Erik grinned at him as he moved his hand away.

“I like good boys,” Erik said, beginning to thrust. “I reward good boys. What shall I reward you with?”

Charles groaned loudly, unable to form any words. He had to concentrate, keep the pleasure from washing over him, from crashing into him. He had to imagine he was with any other trick, being used by anyone else. Not on an expensive leather sofa with the man he was in love with fucking him.

His eyes snapped shut. The man he was in love with? Charles almost screamed then and there. Oh fuck, he was, he was in love with Erik, and this was too much, Erik could never love him and he was going to be so hurt when the time came for him to leave, and he wasn't sure a lifetime of clients would ever be able to fill the hole that would be inside him.

Erik watched Charles as he thrust into him, and he could immediately tell there was something different about the way Charles had his eyes shut tight. Charles wasn't there with him anymore, he was off somewhere else, and where that was, Erik didn't know. But he was going to bring him back.

“Charles,” Erik said softly, then a little louder. “Charles, look at me.”

He wouldn't do it, he wouldn't open his eyes. He felt Erik's thrusts come to a stop, felt Erik lean over the top of him. If he opened his eyes he'd be looking straight into Erik's and he couldn't do that. He'd fall even harder than he already had, and he was so fucked, so motherfucking fucked and despite the fact that this was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, there was part of him that wanted all of it.

Erik bent down and kissed him softly, and Charles's eyes finally opened. Erik looked into them, saw the fear there, and immediately began to apologize. “Did I take it too far? God, Charles, I'm so sorry if I did, I just thought it would be fun, and I never meant to hurt you. Do you want to come now, because you can, you totally can, I ju—” 

Charles cut him off with a kiss, and this kiss was different. This was a kiss of genuine emotion, and Erik felt it. “No, no, no. I want this. I just got lost in my head for a moment. Fuck me, Erik. I want to be your good boy.”

Erik growled and began to thrust again at a faster pace than he had before. He bent down and captured Charles's lips in a deep kiss, not breaking apart until he desperately needed air only to dive back in for more. Wherever Charles had gone when he was lost in his head was gone, and Charles was meeting him thrust for thrust, kiss for kiss, and he had kept himself from coming.

Charles was being a good boy, and Erik was so turned on from it that he didn't think he'd ever been so hard.

Erik slowed his pace and then picked it up again, listening to Charles's pretty mouth beg him to come over and over until he finally gasped. “Come for me, Charles.”

An instant later, Charles was screaming as his orgasm tore through him, and Erik thrust a few more times before he felt himself climax. 

When Erik returned to reality, he looked up at Charles and saw nothing but bliss on that beautiful face. He pushed himself up just enough to kiss Charles deep and then he collapsed back on top of him. “You're amazing,” he said into Charles's shoulder. “You're the most amazing man I've ever met.”

Charles was still trying to catch his breath. “You don't have to say that,” he breathed out. “I'm not going anywhere.”

Erik pressed kisses to the saltslick skin of Charles's shoulder and sighed happily. “I'm not just saying it. I mean it.”

“I know,” Charles said softly as Erik pushed up and kissed him again. “So what's my reward for being a good boy?”

Erik laughed. “A ton of champagne and more sex?”

Charles smiled. “Sounds good to me.”


	7. Chapter 7

They were lying in bed, basking in the afterglow of another round of sex, when Erik decided he needed to know more about Charles.

“Where in England are you from?”

Charles laid there for a few moments, debating whether or not he should answer. “Grew up in Scotland actually. Glasgow.”

“Celtic or Rangers?”

Charles smiled. “Celtic.”

“Catholic then?”

“Was raised that way,” Charles said, turning his head to look at Erik. “But things happened, and I stopped believing.”

Erik nodded. “Former altar boy. Baptized and all. Couldn't give a fuck about it now.”

Charles rolled onto his side and laughed. “You were an altar boy?”

“Oh yeah,” Erik said, laughing as well. “I'm so far removed from that now, I can barely remember it.”

“What made you stop?” Charles asked, fully aware that they were edging into territory that he didn't want to go into, but asking anyway.

“Well, I realized I was gay, for one. Two, after my parents split, the last thing I wanted to do was spend my time at church with my mother. Three, it was far more fun to fuck the choir boys than it was to sing in the choir itself.”

Charles pulled a pillow underneath his head and laughed. “I cannot picture you as an altar boy.”

“What about you?” Erik asked, reaching out to tangle his fingers with Charles's when he sucked in a sharp breath. “You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”

Charles's mind was screaming at him to take the way out that Erik was giving him, to keep it to himself just like he'd sworn he always would, to keep the shame blocked deep inside of him instead of allowing himself to feel it. But Charles had gotten used to feeling over the past couple of days, and maybe it would be better to tell someone after all.

“I went to a Catholic school,” he said quietly. “And things happened.”

Erik rolled onto his side. “Things? What things?”

“Does it matter?” Charles choked out, then answered anyway. “The head teacher, he liked young boys, and he took quite a liking to me.”

Erik's eyes shut involuntarily, realization of what Charles was implying coming over him. “How long?”

“Pretty much the entire time I was there,” Charles said, shame coating his voice and making him tremble. “It was my fault.”

Erik's eyes snapped open. “How the fuck could you possibly think that was your fault?”

“He said I was asking for it,” Charles said, his voice shaky. 

“I highly doubt you were asking for it. How old were you when it started?” There was anger in Erik's voice, and Charles didn't know how to take it.

“Eleven. I've been called a whore since I was eleven years old, Erik. And he was right. That's what I am.”

“No,” Erik said forcefully, pulling Charles into his arms. “You most certainly are not.”

Charles buried his face in Erik's neck. “I've never told anyone about that before.”

“You never told anyone?”

“No,” Charles murmured. “I just took off to London as soon as I graduated. I wanted to be as far away as possible.”

“What about your family?” Erik asked. “Surely they would have known something was wrong.”

“My father died when I was seven. My mother became an alcoholic. I never let on to anyone that anything was happening. He said he'd kill me if I did.”

“Fucking hell,” Erik said, rolling over on top of Charles and bending down to kiss him softly. “Charles, I don't know what to say.”

“Don't say anything, I deserved it,” Charles said, looking up at him through sad eyes. “It's like I told you, I don't know how to do anything else. So I started selling myself on a street corner. At least I knew I was good at that. He always told me that I was his best student.”

Erik was seething with anger. “You did _not_ deserve to be abused, Charles! How can you even think that you did?”

“Because he told me I did,” Charles said, fear in his eyes. “Why are you so angry?”

“I am angry because a man – a man of the cloth no less I suspect – took an eleven-year-old boy and abused him for years, and made him believe that he deserved it to the point that you are here now years later still telling me that you deserved it!” Erik said, bending down to capture Charles's lips in a strong kiss. “Listen to me, Charles. You did not deserve it. He took advantage of you, he...god, I don't even want to think about how far he went with you when you were eleven. It makes me want to track him down and kill him myself.”

“I told you I'm worth nothing,” Charles said quietly. “Do you believe me now?”

Erik rolled onto his back and pulled Charles on top of him, burying his face in Charles's soft hair. “I never want to hear you say you're worth nothing again. Because you mean the world to me, Charles. You mean everything. You're worth so much to me. You have no idea.”

Charles felt tears in his eyes, and for once he didn't try to force them away. “I don't see how that's possible.”

Erik tilted Charles's head up to look at him just as the tears started to fall. “Oh, Charles,” he said, pulling him closer. “I think you need to get all of this out. Tell me everything. I swear to you, it will not change the way I feel about you.”

Charles sniffled. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Charles put his head on Erik's shoulder and after a few minutes he started talking. Erik listened to every word, the anger building inside him. How could anyone have taken someone as beautiful as Charles was and hurt him like that? 

Then Charles said, “He's the man who taught me how to love,” and Erik about hit the ceiling.

“He did not teach you a single, solitary thing about how to love,” Erik said, his voice shaking with anger. “He was a pedophile, Charles. He abused you for years, and you were trapped. You didn't know how to get away, and you didn't tell anyone who could help you get away. But he did not teach you a single thing about love. What he did to you was not love.”

“You're so angry. I don't...” Charles swallowed hard. “You scare me. But, like, in a good way. That doesn't make any sense, does it?”

“No, it makes perfect sense,” Erik said, pulling Charles into a kiss. “You scare me too, but in a good way.”

“He scared me in a bad way,” Charles said, trying to stop the tears. “And you say that's not love.”

“No, it definitely is not.”

“Then what is love?” Charles asked, tears still streaming down his face despite his best efforts to stop them.

“Love is how I feel about you,” Erik said, his voice much softer. “Love is how I hope you feel about me.”

“You love me?” Charles's voice was small and scared.

“Yes,” Erik said, kissing the trails of Charles's tears. “I told you that you were the most amazing man I'd ever met, and I meant that.”

“How can you love a whore?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that you're not a whore, Charles? Not in my eyes. You were just lost. I want to help you find yourself again. And if that means I have to go back to when you were eleven and build your self-confidence up from there, then so be it. But I'm in love with you, Charles, and I don't want you to ever leave.”

Charles let himself look into Erik's eyes, confused when he saw them brimming with tears. “Why are you crying?”

“Yesterday,” Erik got out, trying to compose himself. “When I was trying to get you to be my good boy...you said you got lost in your head for a moment and I...”

“No, no, no, no,” Charles said, kissing Erik quickly. “It wasn't this. I swear to you, it wasn't this.”

“Then what was it?” Erik asked softly.

Charles kissed Erik again, slowly and languidly. “It was me realizing that I was in love with you and panicking because I didn't think you could ever love me back.”

Erik felt relief flow through him. “Oh Charles, you have no idea. I knew you were special from the moment I met you. You with your glittery hair and the kohl around your eyes, so confident but so lost, with your rules to protect yourself. I didn't want you to leave that night and I haven't wanted you to leave any night since. I understood why you did, but then when I saw you for the third time, I just had to get you to stay longer. That's why I offered to buy you for a week. I was determined to get you to stay. I don't think I could handle it if you walked out of my life for a third time.”

“Leaving after this week is going to be the hardest thing I ever do,” Charles murmured. “I'm not sure I can do it.”

Erik tangled his hands in Charles's hair. “Then don't. Stay forever.”

“I don't know if I can do that either,” Charles whispered as Erik pulled him into a kiss. “I'm too broken, Erik. And I don't expect you to fix me.”

“Well, I damn sure am going to try,” Erik said firmly. “Even if that means I have to go pick you up every night.”

Charles settled his head on Erik's shoulder. “Don't you think someone's going to notice at some point that you're associating yourself with a streetwalker?”

“I don't give a fuck,” Erik said seriously. “No one sets foot inside this flat without a signed confidentiality agreement. I'll take their sorry arse to court if they did.”

“You didn't make me sign one,” Charles pointed out.

“No,” Erik said, holding him closer. “But you gave me your word, and that was enough.”

“You'd take the word of a whore over a signed confidentiality agreement?”

“Stop calling yourself a whore. And I didn't take the word of a whore, I took the word of Charles Xavier. And that's good enough for me.”

“Charles Xavier is worthless.”

“Charles Xavier is the most precious thing in the world to me,” Erik said softly. “And after we get some sleep, I'm going to show you just how much.”

Charles felt a shiver go down his spine. “Another fuck?”

“No,” Erik said, kissing Charles's neck. “I'm going to make love to you. Show you the difference. Because there is a difference, Charles.”

Charles swallowed hard and fought to get a deep breath. “Okay.”

Erik smiled and pressed another kiss to Charles's neck. “Sleep. No one's going to hurt you while I'm here.”

For the first time, Charles trusted Erik completely.


	8. Chapter 8

“Erik?”

Erik looked up from the paperwork he was reading to see Charles in the doorway to his office, dressed in the outfit he'd been wearing when Erik picked him up. He immediately stood up and went to him, wrapping his arms around Charles and holding him close. “Tell me you're not leaving.”

Charles pressed a kiss to Erik's neck. “I'm not leaving.”

Erik felt relief flow through him, and he pulled back to look Charles in the eyes. “Then why are you wearing that?”

“I want to go to my flat,” Charles said. “I can't go walking around there in the clothes that you have for me.”

“Why not?”

“Do you think I didn't notice the designer labels in those clothes?” Charles said, shaking his head. “I'm a whore, Erik. I wear clothes like this. I do not wear designer clothes. Especially not in the part of London that I live in.”

“You're not a whore.” Erik pulled away from him and turned back to his desk. “Give me a minute and I'll drive you.”

“No,” Charles said, shaking his head again. “You will make me stand out in that expensive car of yours, and then someone is bound to try to rob both of us. I'm just going to take the tube.”

“Then I'll go with you,” Erik said. “It's been a long time since I've ridden the tube.”

Charles sighed. “I want to go by myself.”

“I'm afraid that if you leave, you'll never come back,” Erik said softly. “Please let me go with you.”

“I don't want you to see how I live,” Charles murmured. “You live in such extravagance, and I live in the exact opposite.”

“Do you think that if I see how you live that I'll change my opinion of you?” Erik asked, walking back to Charles and pulling him into a soft kiss. “I love you, Charles. Nothing is going to change that.”

“Erik,” Charles started, swallowing hard. “Last night was amazing. I've never had anything like that before. Never felt anything like that before. But you're not in love with me. You barely know me. And I don't think I'm really in love with you either. I don't know what love is.”

“Don't try and tell me how I feel,” Erik snapped at him. “You have no idea how I feel, Charles. I tried to show you last night just how much I love you. Did I not succeed?”

“No, you did,” Charles sighed. “This is all coming out wrong. Look, I'm going to go to my flat and get some of my stuff and the money you've already paid me before someone breaks in and steals all of it. Then I'm going to come back. I promise.”

“Do you not have a bank account?”

Charles rested his forehead on Erik's shoulder. “Erik, I am a whore. Whores don't have bank accounts. Whores have money stashed under the pitiful thing they call a mattress because it's the only thing they can afford. I just want some of my stuff. There's not a lot, but there's some stuff that really means a lot to me and I don't want someone to take it.”

“Stop calling yourself a whore,” Erik said seriously, pulling Charles into another kiss. “I will get a bank account set up for you. You should not have that much money stuffed underneath a mattress. And I still want to go with you.”

“I don't need a bank account,” Charles protested. “And you're not coming with me. Do you even realize how much you'd stand out in a neighborhood like mine?”

“Charles, I have paid you thousands of pounds already. You need a bank account.” Erik kissed him again. “And I'll wear something other than what I'm wearing. You can even go through my closet and pick it out.”

Charles realized he was never going to win this argument, so he sighed heavily. “No bank account, but you can come with me. Is that alright?”

“It is for now,” Erik said, leading Charles out of the room and heading upstairs. “I think there's a t-shirt or two in the closet. And I might even have some denim jeans.”

Charles just shook his head as they walked upstairs. “You are going to get us robbed, I just know it.”

“I am not!”

Charles searched through Erik's closet until he found a t-shirt and jeans that didn't scream that they were designer clothes, and Erik changed into them quickly. They went downstairs and Erik offered once again to drive them to Charles's flat, but Charles held firm about taking the tube. They walked out of the front door moments later, and Erik took Charles's hand in his, which surprised Charles.

“Do you really want your neighbors to see us together?” Charles asked as they walked towards the nearest tube station.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care what anyone else thinks?” Erik responded, pulling Charles close to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Is this better?”

“I think us not touching would be best,” Charles murmured.

“Not an option.”

Charles just shook his head. “We look ridiculous.”

“You look gorgeous,” Erik countered. “And I look not quite as put together as I'd like, but I'm doing this for you so it doesn't matter.”

Charles just rolled his eyes as they continued to walk. They reached the tube station and Charles made sure they got on the right train. The car was crowded, so Erik held Charles as close to him as he could. Charles could feel the eyes of other people in the car on him, so he buried his face in Erik's neck, trying to forget they were there.

When he heard the announcement for the right stop, Charles pulled away and led Erik out of the train. They left the tube station and Erik could immediately tell they were in an area of London that he'd never been in.

“How far away is this from...” he trailed off, unsure how to phrase it.

“Pretty far,” Charles admitted. “Better not to live by where you work. Just in case you get an angry client and they follow you.”

Erik swallowed hard. “Has that happened to you before?”

Charles was silent for a few moments, which answered Erik's question. “I've always made it home safe. But there have been some scary moments.”

Charles lead them around a corner and they passed a couple of people, and Erik could feel their eyes following them as they walked away. Then someone called out Charles's name, and Erik looked up to see someone running at them.

“Charles, you motherfucker! I thought you were dead!”

Charles let himself be wrapped up in the arms of the man, and Erik tensed. “I'm alright, Freddie,” Charles said, pulling away. “I've just got a rather good job at the moment.”

The man – _Freddie_ – looked over at Erik with suspicion in his eyes. “And who the fuck are you?”

“A friend,” Charles said quickly. “We just came to get some stuff from my flat.”

“I'm not sure what's left,” Freddie said. “You know the vultures. As soon as you didn't come home, they kicked the door in.”

“Fuck,” Charles said, walking faster, leaving Erik behind. “Those fucking motherfuckers.”

Erik sped up, grabbing Charles by the elbow and slowing him down. “Should we go in there?”

“You don't have to,” Charles said, “but I am. I need to know what's left.”

Charles shook off Erik's hand and started running down the street, leaving Erik standing there with Freddie. Freddie stared at him for a few moments before smiling. “You want a blow in the meantime?”

“Excuse me?” Erik said, eyes wide.

“Oh come on, baby,” Freddie said. “That shit you're wearing is designer. You're the one paying Charles, and I'm asking if you want a blow while he's gone. I've got condoms in my pocket and everything. I'll do it for five.”

“Five?”

“Five hundred, baby,” Freddie said, leering at him. “Come on, you obviously know how this works.”

“No,” Erik said quickly. “I do not want a blow or whatever you were calling it. Take me to Charles's flat please.”

“Three.”

“What?”

“I'll take you to Charles's flat for three hundred.”

Erik cursed under his breath and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, thumbing through it before pulling out three hundred pound notes. He shoved them into Freddie's hand forcefully. “Take me to Charles now.”

Freddie grinned and stuff the money into his back pocket. “Right this way, baby.”

Erik followed Freddie into a dilapidated looking building, and then up three flights of stairs. 

“End of the hallway on the left,” Freddie said, and then he disappeared down the stairs. 

Erik made his way to the door that Freddie had directed him to, finding it broken and half open. He moved it to get inside, and saw Charles sitting on a very thin mattress, sobbing into his hands. “Charles?”

Charles looked up at him. “It's all gone, Erik. Everything.”

Erik walked over to him and sat down, pulling Charles into his arms. “What was it?”

“All my clothes. All my drugs. All my money,” Charles said, burying his face in Erik's neck. “The bracelet my mother gave me for my graduation. The only thing I took with me when I left home.”

Erik kissed the top of his head softly. “I'm sorry.”

“I don't care about the clothes or the drugs or the money,” Charles whispered. “I can always get new clothes and more drugs and I can always earn more money. But the one thing that reminded me of home...it wasn't even worth anything. It was just a stupid stretchy shell bracelet that she thought I'd like. I never wore it when I worked because I didn't want to associate that with what I did. But as soon as I got home in the morning, I'd put it on. As fucking stupid as it sounds, it made me feel safe.”

“That's not stupid at all,” Erik said, holding him closer. “I feel like this is my fault. I'm the one that kept you away from here.”

“No,” Charles said, shaking his head. “You probably saved me from getting my arse kicked by the vultures. I probably would have ended up in the hospital again, and then I would have been really fucked.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Erik asked.

Charles pulled away and looked around what was left of his flat, then put his head back on Erik's shoulder. “Take me home.”

Erik felt a rush of joy go through him, and he bent down and drew Charles into a kiss. “Give me an address and I can have Hank here to drive us home.”

Charles rattled it off, and Erik pulled out his mobile, dialing Hank and relaying the information. He hung up and stood up, reaching out for Charles. “Come on, let's wait outside.”

Charles let Erik pull him close and lead him out of the flat. He paused in the doorway and looked back at it for a brief moment, then continued on.

It was time to leave this place behind.


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Hank dropped them off, Erik led Charles into the house and stared at him carefully, wanting to make sure he was alright.

But Charles was having none of that. He grabbed Erik and slammed him up against the door, kissing him hard. Erik's arms came up around his waist, and Charles just kissed and kissed and kissed, breaking apart for air then diving back in again time after time. When he finally broke away, he grabbed Erik by the hand and pulled him up the stairs and into the bedroom. 

He let go of Erik's hand and started stripping his clothes off, and that's when Erik decided he needed to step in.

“Charles,” he said, walking towards him and wrapping his arms around. “Charles, stop.”

Charles just shoved him away and continued taking his clothes off, looking up at Erik. “Come on, get your clothes off.”

“No, Charles,” Erik said, so when Charles was naked, he walked over to Erik and started stripping him himself.

“Please, Erik,” Charles said, kissing him hard. “Let me do something I know how to do for awhile. Please.”

Erik knew he should resist, knew he that he and Charles should talk about what just happened, but he let Charles take his clothes off, and when they were both naked, Erik backed Charles up to the bed and shoved him down on it.

“What do you want, Charles?”

Charles reached out and pulled Erik on top of him, kissing him deeply. “Hard and fast,” he murmured, hands flailing around the mattress until he found the lube and condoms. “Make me not feel.”

Erik took the lube and condoms from Charles's hand and kissed him hard. “Hard and fast I can do,” he mumbled, trailing kisses down Charles's chest. “But I don't know if I can make you not feel.”

“You do what you can,” Charles breathed out, groaning as Erik's hand wrapped around his hardening cock. “Don't touch me.”

Erik just shook his head. “No, I'm not going to fuck you like you're a whore, Charles. I can't do that to you anymore, because you're not one. Not to me.”

Charles felt his eyes fill with tears and he willed them away. He was not going to cry anymore. Instead, he gasped as Erik's hand covered the head of his cock, massaging it with his palm. “Fucking hell, Erik. Just fuck me already.”

Erik pulled his hand away and got some of the lube on his fingers, plunging two of them into Charles's eager body. He took his time opening him up, ignoring Charles's pleas to find his prostate again. He could tell he found it when a shudder went through Charles's entire body, and he stayed there, massaging the bundle of nerves until Charles was writhing beneath him, begging him to stop because it was too much.

But Erik wasn't going to stop. He knew this would force Charles to feel something, and he could tell by the words spilling from Charles's lips that he was definitely feeling the pleasure spread through him. Finally, Charles screamed as his orgasm tore through him, his cock erupting, and Erik slowly removed his fingers, quickly slid a condom on, and thrust deep inside of him. 

Charles let out a loud groan as Erik started to fuck him, and he relaxed into the intrusion, pulling his legs as far back as he could to give Erik better access. Erik put his arms down on either side of Charles's shoulders and leaned forward, forcing Charles's body to contort underneath him until Charles was almost folded in half. Erik's lips came down hard on Charles's, and he picked up the pace, delighting in the moans that Charles was making into the kiss.

Charles's hand came up to slide through Erik's hair as Erik buried his face in Charles's neck, and then Erik stilled, his orgasm taking him by surprise. They collapsed together on the bed, each breathing heavily. Erik forced himself to move off of Charles, letting him return his legs to the bed, and he pulled Charles into his arms, kissing him softly. 

“Amazing,” Erik murmured. “You're amazing. I love you.”

Charles buried his face in Erik's neck, and he felt his eyes well up with tears once more. Erik pulled him closer as he felt the wetness on his skin, running a soothing hand up and down Charles's back.

“It's okay,” Erik said softly. “I'm never going to let anyone hurt you ever again.”

Erik's words just made Charles cry harder, and he wanted to believe them, god, how he wanted to believe them, but he just couldn't.

Everyone hurt him in the end. He didn't know why Erik would be any different.

They both eventually drifted off to sleep, and when Charles woke up, Erik was gone. There were fresh clothes sitting on the bed, a note telling him to take a shower first, and so Charles followed the orders. Once he was dressed, he made his way downstairs, walking towards the kitchen only to realize it was lit by candlelight. He looked around but didn't see Erik anywhere, and frowned.

“Erik?”

Arms wrapped around his waist from behind and Charles jumped. Erik just pressed a kiss behind his ear and laughed. “Sorry for scaring you.”

“What's going on?” Charles asked, turning in the embrace so he could look at Erik.

“I thought we'd do something different tonight,” Erik said, letting go of Charles and leading him into the dining room. “I thought you might like a little romance.”

Charles swallowed hard as he looked at the table spread out before him. Cloth napkins and candelabras, surely expensive china and flowers. He felt the tears well up In his eyes again, and he cursed himself for being so damn emotional all of the sudden. “Why?”

“Because I love you,” Erik said, pulling out a chair and motioning Charles to sit down in it. “Just don't expect a fancy dinner because I can't cook to save my life.”

Charles nodded and sat down, then burst out laughing when Erik came back with a hamburger and put it on his plate. “You weren't kidding about the fancy dinner, were you?”

“I told you,” Erik said, making his way around the table and sitting down. “I can't cook.”

“So who made these then?” Charles asked. “Or did you just order in again?”

Even in the candlelight, Charles could see Erik's face flush. “Ordered in. Now eat.”

Charles reached for the hamburger then pulled his hand back quickly, shoving it underneath his leg on the chair. “I'm not really hungry.”

“That's fucking nonsense and you know it,” Erik said, staring at him from across the table. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I do not appreciate being lied to,” Erik said firmly.

Charles swallowed hard. “It's just...I think withdrawal's finally setting in.” Erik stared at him for a moment and then Charles brought his hand up to the candlelight, letting Erik see how it was shaking. “Do you think you could let me take some of the money you're going to pay me and go get something?”

“I'm not paying you anything, because I'm not letting you leave,” Erik said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his mobile. “What do you need?”

“What do you mean you're not letting me leave?” Charles asked seriously. “I have to leave eventually.”

“I am not letting you anywhere near that place we were earlier,” Erik said, his voice softening. “And I don't know what else I have to do to make you understand that this is your home now. You even called it home earlier.”

“You cannot be serious about that, Erik. I'm nothing more tha—” 

“If the word whore is about to pass through those lips, I'm making you suffer through the withdrawal,” Erik said. “Now tell me what you need and I will get it here quickly.”

Charles cleared his throat. “Coke,” he said softly. “And if I'm staying here, you might want to get a lot of it.”

Erik texted a familiar number and informed them what was required, then set the mobile back on the table. “I've never done that.”

“It's nice,” Charles said, reaching his shaking hand towards his hamburger. “Coke-fueled sex is some of the best kind of sex.”

“Did you often do drugs before you went out onto the streets?”

“Every night, usually,” Charles said, taking a bite of his hamburger. “Jesus, what kind of hamburger is this?”

“A gourmet one,” Erik said. “Get used to it. And how many times have we had sex while you were high?”

Charles thought about it while he took another bite of the delicious hamburger. “I didn't have enough money for the drugs the first time, it had worn off the second time, and I hadn't done my deal yet when you got me the third time.”

“So, when this gets here – shouldn't be more than a half hour, by the way – can we try it?”

Charles set his hamburger down and looked over at Erik. “You want to try coke? Seriously?”

“Why the hell not?” Erik said, smiling at him. “Besides, if you're telling me this will make sex with you even better, then I have to try it.”

“Okay then.”

They were just finishing up their dinner when the doorbell rang, and Erik went to answer it. He came back with a bag full of little bottles, tossing it at Charles. “Is that enough?”

Charles stared at the bag with wide eyes. “There's got to be at least a couple thousand pounds worth of coke here, Erik.”

“Five,” Erik answered, “and it'll be the best shit in London too. Is it enough?”

Charles just nodded and opened the bag, pulling out a bottle. He walked into the kitchen and Erik followed, watching as Charles made two white lines on the counter. 

“Got a fiver?”

Erik reached into his pocket and pulled out the first note he could find. “Will a hundred do?”

Charles just shook his head and took it from him, rolling it up. “You know how to do this?”

“I've seen it done before, but you can go first.”

Charles nodded and bent down, using the rolled up note to snort the first line. He took a couple deep breaths after he stood up, grinning at Erik as he walked over. “It's going to feel a little weird until you get used to it. Be sure to snort it all the way.”

Erik took the note and bent down, snorting the second line. He laughed when he stood up and Charles started to inspect his nose. “Did I not do it right?”

“No, you did,” Charles said, taking the note from Erik's hand and tossing it to the side. “Come here.”

Erik willingly went into Charles's arms, kissing him hard. Charles answered back as good as he got, and it wasn't long before they were both desperate for one another. Erik started to pull Charles towards the stairs, but Charles changed their direction to the sitting room, pushing Erik onto the leather sofa and getting the lube and condoms out of the drawer. 

Charles climbed into his lap and kissed Erik hungrily, feeling the effects of the cocaine start to kick in. Erik's hands felt like they were everywhere on him, and Charles slowly slid off of Erik onto the floor, kneeling in between his legs. He got Erik's pants open so fast that Erik thought for a moment that he'd torn them open before he realized that was probably the drugs. Charles reached for a condom with one hand as he pulled Erik's hard cock free, quickly rolling it onto him before taking Erik deep into his throat.

Erik groaned loudly at the heat that surrounded him, hands coming up to wrap in Charles's hair, helping guide him as he began to bob his head up and down. Charles ran his tongue all over Erik's dick, paying close attention to the head and the vein on the underside, until Erik was shuddering beneath him, moaning incoherently. Charles pulled away and quickly stood, dropping his pants to the floor and straddling Erik's hips again, reaching down and guiding Erik's cock into him.

Erik protested lightly but Charles just shushed him. “I'm fine,” he said, kissing all over Erik's face. “Still open from earlier.”

Erik let his head fall back as Charles started to move up and down, and he felt dizzy from arousal. He just laid there and took it for a few minutes, then reached in between their bodies to wrap a hand around Charles's cock, enjoying the weight of it in his hand before he began stroking him earnestly. Charles let his head fall back, letting a comfortable, familiar haze settle over him as he rode Erik as hard as he dared. 

It wasn't long until they both came, shuddering together. Erik's hand fell away, but Charles continued to rock back and forth, enjoying the feeling of Erik's softening cock within him. Erik pulled Charles into a hard kiss, hissing from the attention on his sensitive flesh. Eventually, Charles stopped moving, and they stayed that way for a long time, lips seeking out lips, hands caressing exposed skin. 

Erik groaned as he felt himself growing hard again, and he broke the kiss to look into Charles's eyes. “How much more can you take?”

“As much as you can give me,” Charles answered, his eyes glazed over, and Erik knew that his eyes looked the same. 

They were both high as a kite, and as Charles started to move again, Erik felt a mixture of arousal and pain spread through him.

He loved every fucking second of it.

Charles rode him to completion once more before climbing off of Erik and sliding back to the floor in front of him, laying out on the carpet and sucking in deep breaths. “Thank you,” he breathed out. “I really needed that.”

Erik launched himself off of the sofa and on top of Charles, kissing him soundly. “You didn't even let me get undressed.”

“Needed you too much,” Charles got out in between kisses. “Not enough time.”

They settled comfortably into each other's arms on the carpet, and Erik ran his fingers up and down Charles's arm. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes,” Charles said after a moment.

“We should get the results of the blood tests tomorrow,” Erik said softly. “If we're both clean, can we skip the condoms?”

Charles went silent, and Erik propped himself up on one arm, looking down at him. “I want to know how your flesh feels between my lips,” he said, fingers trailing along Charles's cheek. “We can still use them for sex if you want, but I want to blow you without having to taste latex.”

Charles thought about it for awhile, looking up through hazy eyes at Erik, before nodding. “Only for blow jobs.”

Erik grinned. “Deal.”

Charles pulled Erik into another kiss, determined to get him aroused again. 

It wasn't long until he had succeeded, and as Erik pushed into him again, Charles decided that he hadn't felt so good in a very, very long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Charles was in the kitchen getting a cup of coffee when he heard the phone ring, and he deliberately took his time. He knew what that phone call probably was, and he wasn't sure he was ready to hear what was being said. He heard Erik talking away and then he fell silent, and Charles cursed under his breath. He took a long sip of his coffee before deciding he might as well get it over with, find out once and for all.

He walked into Erik's office to see him hanging up the phone, his face pale. “Is everything alright?”

Erik forced himself to look up at Charles, nodding. “That was Raven.”

Charles sat down in a chair and took a deep breath. “So I take it I'm not clean then?”

“No,” Erik said, finding it hard to speak. “You are.”

Charles looked at him, confused. “Then why do you look like that?”

“Excuse me,” Erik said, standing up and walking out of the office. 

Charles immediately stood up and followed him, abandoning his cup of coffee on the counter when he heard Erik jogging up the stairs. He followed him up only to find the door to the bedroom shut and locked, and his concern worsened. “Erik, let me in.”

“No,” came the response from in the room, and Charles banged on the door.

“Erik, fucking let me in or I'm going to kick your door in. And don't think I don't know how to do that.”

Charles stood there for a moment until he heard the door unlock, and then he immediately opened it, walking into the room to find Erik standing there, head in his hands. “Tell me what the fuck she said.”

Erik collapsed down to the floor, sucking in a few deep breaths. “She said you were clean.”

“And that's not all she fucking said or you wouldn't be like this right now,” Charles said, dropping to his knees in front of Erik and forcing him to look at him. “Tell me.”

“No.”

“Fucking tell me.”

“No.”

“Motherfucking tell me or I'm figuring out how to call her back and getting her to tell me instead.”

“I'm...” Erik whispered after a moment, letting his eyes close. “I'm the one who isn't.”

Charles sat there in shock for a moment, then pulled Erik to him, kissing his forehead. “It's okay,” he said softly. “It's going to be okay.”

“No it's not,” Erik got out, still finding it hard to speak. “I'm positive, Charles. How can it be okay?”

“Because it is. Now, when was the last time you were tested before this?” Charles asked.

“About a year ago,” Erik said automatically.

“And you weren't then?”

“No.”

“And how many people have you had sex with, beside me, since then?”

Erik just shook his head. “I don't know. I had a fucking lot of one night stands before you. It could have been any of them.”

“Unprotected? That should narrow it down.”

“Just...” Erik trailed off and cursed under his breath. “I am such a fucking idiot.”

“Who?”

“Last relationship,” Erik said, his voice hollow. “I thought I was in love. We never got tested, we just fucked a lot. No condoms. Never a fucking condom.”

“This is the guy who sold you out to the tabloids?”

Erik just nodded. Charles pulled him closer, bending down and kissing him softly. “This isn't a death sentence, you know. They've made great strides in treatment for this.”

“How do you know that?” Erik asked, burying his face in Charles's neck.

“I may have borrowed your laptop in the middle of the night,” Charles admitted. “I wasn't expecting to be the clean one of the two of us.”

Erik let out a hollow laugh. “Neither was I.”

“This doesn't change things for me,” Charles said softly. “I mean, if you still want me here.”

“I don't want to...I don't want to infect you.”

“Condoms, Erik. You won't.”

“And to think last night I was talking about not needing them anymore.”

Charles pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “Erik, stop. None of that matters now. Keeping you healthy is all that matters now.”

Erik took in a shuddering breath. “Raven said I have to have another test. Just to make sure the first one is accurate. But she was pretty sure it would just confirm the first.”

“Is she coming over for that?”

Erik shook his head. “No. I need to talk to Dr. Howlett.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No,” Erik said, kissing Charles's neck. “I need to do this by myself.”

Charles just nodded. “When do you have to go?”

“Some time today,” Erik said, pulling back and looking at Charles. “This really doesn't make you want to leave?”

Charles leaned forward and kissed him. “You aren't the first positive person I've ever known, Erik. And I know you're going to do everything you can to keep yourself from getting sick, unlike every other positive person I've ever known. Besides, I thought you wanted me here.”

“I do,” Erik said, pulling Charles into a kiss. “I want you to stay forever.”

“That's sounding better the more you say it,” Charles said softly, bringing a hand up to cup Erik's face. “It'll be okay, Erik.”

“Can we,” Erik started, stopping to swallow hard. “Can we just lie in bed for awhile? Clothes on, no sex. Just me holding you for awhile?”

Charles nodded and helped Erik off the floor. Erik pulled him close and kissed him long and slow, then pulled Charles to the bed and laid down on it. Charles joined him and then Erik buried his face in Charles's neck again, breathing in his scent.

It wasn't long until the tears started to flow, wetting Charles's skin. Charles just held on to him tighter, whispering soothing phrases in his ear.


	11. Chapter 11

Erik walked into the house, mobile pressed up against his ear. “Yes, I know I told you when the story came out that I didn't want to pursue this. I've changed my mind for reasons that I don't want to get in to. He signed a confidentiality agreement, then he went and sold his fucking story to the tabloids. So file the fucking lawsuit.”

He listened to his lawyer for a moment as he walked into the kitchen, frowning when it occurred to him that all the lights were off. He let his lawyer keep talking, but started looking around the flat, finding every room on the main floor dark and empty.

His heart jumped into his throat.

He headed for the stairs and then ran up them, fear flowing through him as he noticed all the lights upstairs were off as well. The bedroom door was shut, and he walked over to it, opening it and heading into the room, and then he nearly dropped the phone from his hands.

“Just file it,” he practically whispered before hanging up, tossing the mobile onto the floor and enjoying the sight before him.

The soft light of his bedside lamp filled the room. Charles was on the bed, completely naked, already hard, condoms and lube sitting on his stomach, and his hands were somehow tied to the headboard with Erik's favorite tie.

“I thought you'd left,” Erik said, his voice shaky. “All the lights were off and I thought...”

“Well, I didn't,” Charles said. “Come here.”

Erik walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed, running his hand down Charles's chest. “What's this for?”

“I thought you'd enjoy it,” Charles said softly. “I thought you might need it.”

Erik bent down and kissed Charles softly, reaching up and untying his hands. “Thank you,” he whispered, bending down to kiss him again. “But not like this. Not tonight.”

Charles reached up to Erik and ran his hand through his hair. “Then what do you need? Whatever it is, I'll do it.”

Erik stood up and carefully took off his suit coat, hanging it up. Charles sat up on the bed and watched, smiling when Erik made his way back to him.

“Tell me what you need, Erik. Please. Let me give it to you.”

“I'm going to work in my office for awhile,” Erik said, turning to leave. “Sleep.”

Erik left the room, and Charles immediately climbed off the bed, following him down to his office.

“Erik, what the fuck?” Charles asked as he walked into the office, prompting Erik to turn and look at him. 

“If you're going to wander about the house, I would prefer you put clothes on,” Erik said, sitting down behind his desk and opening his laptop. “I told you I was going to work for awhile. Go sleep.”

Charles just walked around the desk, spinning Erik's chair around and straddling his legs. “Erik, talk to me.”

“There's nothing to talk about,” Erik said, pushing Charles off of him and turning back to his laptop. “Let me work for awhile.”

Charles pressed the hurt that was building up deep down within him and sat down across from Erik's desk. “I'm not leaving until you tell me what I can do for you.”

“You can't do anything for me,” Erik said, pulling up the email his lawyer had sent him. “Not at the moment, anyway.”

“Did we have two entirely different conversations this afternoon then?” Charles asked. “Because you were going on about love and partnership and how much it meant to you that I was there for you this morning, and now you come home tonight and you apparently don't want anything to do with me.”

“It's not that I don't want anything to do with you,” Erik started, running his hands through his hair. “I just...I'm not ready to just jump back into bed with you, okay? I appreciate the thought, but I am fucking terrified of giving you this fucking awful death sentence that I have been given.”

“It's not a death sentence,” Charles tried, but Erik just shook his head. 

“I listened to the doctor this afternoon. I heard all about medicine cocktails and research studies and how if I keep myself healthy, I can delay it turning into AIDS. But it's going to happen, Charles. This is going to kill me someday.”

“Someday, maybe,” Charles stressed. “Not today.”

Erik opened the attachment to the email and sent it to the printer, then looked up at Charles. “I've had to reevaluate my entire life today, Charles. Excuse me for not wanting to frolic naked with you at the moment.”

Charles just sighed as Erik turned to the printer, picking up the pages that had been printed before picking up a pen. “Since you're here, I need you to sign these.”

“What? Do you honestly think that now that I know you're positive, I'm going to run to the papers and tell them?” Charles said, allowing the hurt to creep into his voice. “You told me my word was enough.”

“And it is,” Erik said softly. “This is something different. Please sign it.”

Erik set the papers down in front of where Charles was sitting, pen on top of them. Charles picked them up and tried to figure out what they were, tapping the pen against his chin.

“What am I signing?”

“Just sign it.”

“What am I signing?” Charles asked again, sighing angrily when Erik didn't answer him. “I'm not fucking signing anything until you tell me what the fuck I'm signing.”

Erik ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Ownership papers.”

Charles gave him a confused look. “Ownership papers? Ownership to what?”

“Lehnsherr Industries,” Erik said softly. “I'm giving you half of it now, and you'll have full ownership of it upon my death.”

Charles's jaw dropped. “There is no fucking way that I can sign these,” he said after a moment. “I don't deserve that.”

“You deserve the very best that money can buy,” Erik pointed out. “And well, I need to make sure you're taken care of somehow. I'm not going to die and leave you with nothing.”

“You are not going to die,” Charles stressed again. “Come on, Erik. Surely that doctor of yours talked some sense instead of just scaring the fuck out of you.”

“We discussed love and partnership earlier today,” Erik said, motioning to the paperwork. “That is part of partnership. I would never keep that from you, Charles. I would have done this if I was positive or not.”

“I'm still not signing them,” Charles said, setting the papers down. “This is way too much, Erik.”

“I just want to take care of you,” Erik said, closing his email and putting his laptop to sleep. 

“Yes, well, that's all I want to do for you at the moment.”

Erik sighed and stood up, walking around the desk and holding out a hand. “Come on.”

Charles took Erik's hand and stood, then let Erik lead him upstairs to the bedroom. But instead of the bed, they went straight into the en suite, and Erik spun Charles around to kiss him.

“I want to take a shower,” Erik said, running a hand down Charles's chest. “And I want you to take it with me.”

Charles nodded enthusiastically. “I can do that.”

Erik backed away and turned the water on, slowly undressing. He tested the temperature a few times until deeming it warm enough, then pulled Charles underneath the spray. They stood there for a moment before Erik drew Charles into a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. Charles deepened the kiss the first chance that he got, and soon they were clinging to each other, their hard cocks brushing against one another in between them.

Erik spun Charles around and he groaned loudly as Erik slammed him up against the shower wall. The groan faded into a sigh as the coolness of the tile penetrated the warm haze that surrounded him. Charles felt Erik's lips licking and sucking along the back of his neck as he spread his hands out on the wall, sliding one towards the shelves in the corner. He fumbled around blindly before turning his head in the right direction, his hand closing around a foil packet and then the bottle of conditioner.

He yanked them from their perch as Erik's hands slid down his sides, and Charles trembled violently, nearly dropping the supplies before Erik snatched them away from his weakened grip. He rested his forehead against the tile and listened to the sound of foil tearing and a cap flicking open, jumping slightly moments later when the bottle was thrown to the floor.

Erik continued to attack the back of Charles's neck as a finger suddenly slid inside him, drawing a long and deep moan from Charles's lips. A second finger joined the first and quickly thrust in and out of his body, a telltale sign that Erik wanted him relaxed and loose as soon as possible. Charles gasped and worked his hand between his body and the wall, wrapping it around his throbbing cock and stroking it in time with Erik's fingers. “Do it,” he whispered, and Erik growled, the fingers disappearing and a long, hard cock taking their place.

Charles shuddered as Erik began to pull out, slamming back in quickly and setting a hard and fast pace. He cried out and tightened his grip on his own cock, throwing his head back as his body took the fucking and begged for more. He tilted his head towards Erik's and gave voice to that need, pleading softly with him to do it harder, faster, deeper. He gasped as Erik's hands slid around his waist, one of them wrapping around Charles's hand and quickening the pace of his jerk. Erik's head leaned slightly to the side and rested against Charles's for a moment, then turned sharply and their lips were together in a sloppy kiss, tongues tangling, teeth nipping.

Charles whined as Erik stopped midthrust, a filthy moan escaping his lips as his release hit him. Erik broke the kiss and gasped for breath, slumping down against Charles's back as he squirmed against the wall, desperately seeking friction. He felt Erik suck in a couple of deep breaths and then nearly cried from relief when Erik allowed their hands to move again, skin sliding easily over skin until Charles was coming hard, Erik's name a breathy moan on his lips.

“Mmmm,” Charles managed, blinking a few times to get the water out of his eyes. “That was amazing.”

“You're amazing,” Erik whispered, capturing Charles's lips with his own. “Now sign the papers.”

Charles groaned, shuddering as Erik pulled out of him. “That was to get me to sign those papers?”

“Please,” Erik pleaded, holding Charles close to him. “It would make me feel so much better if you did.”

“I'll think about it,” Charles murmured, sighing as Erik's arms around his waist tightened. “That's all I can agree to at the moment.”

Erik spun Charles around and kissed him deeply. “Well, that's more than I was getting in the office, so I suppose I should just take it, right?”

“Yes,” Charles said, leaning up against Erik. “Don't let go. I'm not sure I could stay standing.”

“I'm not letting go,” Erik soothed, running a hand up and down his back. “Don't worry.”


	12. Chapter 12

The papers were sitting on the counter when Charles made it down for breakfast the next morning. A quick glance at them showed that Erik had signed them, and Charles sighed. He knew what he deserved, and it definitely wasn't half of a multibillion dollar company.

He deserved a shitty flat in a shitty part of London and to make his living on the streets. 

Except maybe he didn't. Maybe he deserved what Erik was offering him. A more than comfortable flat to live in, not wondering when his next meal was going to be, no need to walk the streets for money because money was no object.

Love.

Erik.

Erik was becoming everything to him, and even though there was a part of his brain that kept screaming at him to stop this, to get away before he became too attached and got hurt, he kept staying. And he kept staying because of Erik, who was so sweet and so kind and treated him like he was an actual human being compared to being someone who he could use and abuse.

He was starting to believe that Erik really did love him. He was starting to believe that he really did love Erik back.

Erik walked into the kitchen and saw Charles staring at the papers, and he leaned up against a cabinet and watched him. “I just want to take care of you.”

“I know,” Charles said, his voice vulnerable. “But this...I don't deserve this.”

“You told me the night I met you to pretend that we'd met in a club,” Erik started. “So let's do that, shall we? We didn't meet on a street corner, we met in a club. I picked you up, brought you back here, we fucked, we exchanged phone numbers. I called you and we met up again. This time dinner first, but then more sex. And let's say it kept happening, and we kept falling harder and harder for each other, and one day I realized, this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. That man is you, and one of the first things I would do in that scenario is exactly what I've done here.”

“How could you possibly want to spend the rest of your life with me?” Charles asked, his voice still shaky. “I'm so broken, Erik.”

“I know you are,” Erik said, pushing away from the cabinet and walking over to Charles, pulling him into his arms. “But we know why you are broken and, if you'll allow me to help, I think we can start to make you unbroken. All you have to do is ask and I'll get you the best help money can buy. That's part of me wanting to take care of you, Charles. And I want to take care of you because I love you and I want you to stay forever.”

Charles swallowed hard, his head coming to rest on Erik's shoulder. “What kind of help do you think I need?”

“Well, I think a therapist might be in order,” Erik said softly. “Someone who can help you work through everything that bastard did to you. I can get you to talk, and I can listen, but I don't know how to help you through it. A professional would.”

Charles nodded. “I thought about going to this therapist at one of the free clinics once. I thought maybe I should tell someone about what happened to me. But I was too scared to, and I was afraid of what they'd think about me.”

“And yet you told me.”

“And I was terrified you'd kick me out because of it,” Charles murmured. “But you didn't. So maybe a therapist wouldn't either.”

“Would you be willing to try?” Erik asked, pulling Charles closer.

Charles thought about it for awhile. “Maybe. Maybe if you were there with me. I don't know if I could do it on my own.”

“I could take you to the office,” Erik said. “Sit in the lobby the entire time. But I think you need to be alone in that room with the therapist.”

“I'll think about it,” Charles mumbled, pressing a kiss to Erik's neck. “And I'm still thinking about the papers.”

“Take all the time you need,” Erik said, running a hand up and down Charles's back. “I don't want you to feel like you have to do either of those things to make me happy. You already make me happy. So unbelievably happy. I just want to take care of you.”

“I know,” Charles whispered, bringing his lips to meet Erik's in a soft kiss. “I know you do.”

Erik let go of Charles when the doorbell rang. “That will be Hank. I'll be in my office with him for awhile. You should go back to sleep. I wore you out last night. I think you need to recover.”

Charles just laughed. “You think you wore me out? You have no idea, Erik.”

Erik kissed him. “Go back to sleep.”

Charles just nodded, and then Erik was walking to the door and answering it. Hank walked in just in time to see Charles going up the stairs, and then he followed Erik to the office, shutting the door when they were inside.

“Have you heard from the lawyer?” Erik asked as he walked around the desk.

“Yes, but that's not the most important thing,” Hank said, reaching for one of the things in his hand and laying it down in front of Erik. “I got an advance copy of this. It's coming out tomorrow.”

Erik picked up the glossy magazine, staring at the picture on the front. It was from the day that he and Charles had gone to his flat. He ignored the sensationalizing text on the cover to open it up to the page Hank had marked, and found even more pictures, including several of Charles leaning up against his car on that goddamn street corner. He glanced at the title of the article. _A Streetwalker Named Charles – Lehnsherr's latest antics could land him in hot water with the police._

“How do they know his name?”

“Friends of his talked. For a pretty penny, I'm sure.”

Erik tossed the magazine back onto his desk. “Can you stop it?”

“I tried,” Hank said, “but it's already gone to print. Like I said, it comes out tomorrow. Subscription holders have already had their copies mailed to them. There's no way we can stop this now.”

Erik ran his hands through his hair before letting out a frustrated scream. “Who the fuck was following me around?”

“I don't have any idea on that yet,” Hank murmured. “I'm working on it.”

Erik glanced up at Hank. “Say it.”

“Excuse me, boss?”

“I know you want to, so just say it.”

Hank took a deep breath. “I would have preferred some advanced notice about the fact that you have a hooker living with you,” he started. “And I'm not sure that your continued association with him is a good idea.”

“He's not a hooker,” Erik said firmly. “Not anymore. And I am not kicking him back out on the streets just because some pathetic celebrity magazine seems to think this should be scandalous.”

“It is scandalous,” Hank said. “I understand that your private life is your private life and that you are entitled to do with it as you please, but you had to know that if anyone found this out, it was going to cause a scandal.”

Erik sighed. “That's why it was supposed to be private.”

“Do you want me to have the press office put out a statement?”

“Yes,” Erik said. “Mr. Lehnsherr does not comment on his private life. And nothing else.”

Hank nodded, making note of that. “I will do that. As for the other things you asked me to take care of, here.”

Hank handed Erik a folder and he opened it, looking through the papers inside. “Excellent. Thank you.”

“You're welcome, boss. Anything else you need?”

“No,” Erik said, reaching out to put his hand on the magazine when Hank reached for it. “Leave it. He needs to see it.”

Hank nodded. “I'll call you later when I've heard more from the lawyer.”

“Thank you,” Erik said, putting his head in his hands as Hank walked out of the office. He was still that way about ten minutes later when Charles came walking in.

“What's wrong?”

Erik took in a shuddering breath and looked up at him. “There's something I have to show you.”

Charles nodded and Erik shoved the magazine across the desk, taking in the surprised gasp that Charles made when he saw it. “I can't stop it from coming out. It'll be on the newsstands tomorrow.”

Charles picked up the magazine and flipped through it, making more little sounds as he took in every picture, every written word. Eventually he put it back on Erik's desk, tears filling his eyes. “So I suppose you want me to leave then?”

“What?” Erik said, shock in his voice. “No. Not even in the slightest. I want you here more now than ever.”

Charles took in a shaky breath as the tears started to fall. “But the whole country is going to see that.”

“I know.”

“You should be ashamed to be seen with me.”

“I'm not,” Erik said softly. “In fact, I was thinking we should go out for dinner tonight. Let me take you on a real date.”

Charles just shook his head. “I can't do that, Erik. I won't ruin your reputation any more than I already have.”

“I don't give a fucking damn about my reputation!” Erik exclaimed. “I love you, Charles, and I want to climb onto my roof and shout it so the whole fucking world knows. You are the most precious thing in the world to me and I am not going to let some stupid magazine ruin what we have together.”

“My mother is going to see that,” Charles whispered, tears still falling. “I haven't talked to her since I moved to London, and now she's going to see that, and...”

Erik stood up and walked to Charles, pulling him into an embrace. “We can give her some warning if you'd like.”

“How would we do that?”

“We could be in Glasgow in a matter of hours,” Erik said softly. “You could tell her in person.”

Charles shook his head. “I'm too embarrassed of what I've become to see her again.”

“Then a phone call?”

Charles took another shay breath. “I don't know.”

“Would you like me to do it for you?”

Charles pulled back and wiped his eyes. “You'd do that for me?”

“I'd do anything for you,” Erik said, pulling him into a deep kiss. “I love you, Charles. And I'm more than willing to make that clear to whomever you'd like me to.”

“You're serious.”

“Of course I am.”

Charles buried his face in Erik's neck, and Erik just held him there for awhile. Then he felt a soft kiss against his skin. “I'll call her,” he mumbled into Erik's skin. “But I want you here when I do it.”

“I can do that,” Erik said, pressing a kiss to Charles's temple. “I can do that.”

“I love you. I really do,” Charles whispered, and Erik just smiled.

“I love you too. So, so much.”

Charles pulled back and then drew Erik into another kiss, long and slow. “Alright, if I'm going to do this, I need to get it over with.”

Erik nodded and brought Charles around to the other side of the desk, sitting down and pulling Charles into his lap. “Tell me when you're ready, and I'll dial the number.”

Charles took a deep breath. “I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be.”


	13. Chapter 13

Charles had been quiet ever since the extremely awkward and emotional phone call with his mother the day before and Erik didn't know what to do about it. He'd woken up alone that morning only to find Charles in the kitchen doing cocaine off the countertop and, when Charles had glanced up at him, Erik could tell that the line he'd just watched him snort up wasn't the first one he'd done. He'd walked over to Charles and held him close, kissing him softly. Charles had just buried his face in the nape of Erik's neck and not said a word.

The phone in Erik's office had been ringing all day but he never answered it, just let it all go to voicemail. When he decided to listen to the messages, there were some rather crude ones from so-called friends who wanted to know if they could borrow Charles for a night or two. Some were from work colleagues who had seen the magazine and just wanted to make sure he was alright. 

And then there was one from his mother. And all she had said was “if he makes you happy, I don't care.”

She was the only one he called back. He needed to call her anyway to tell her about his health, and listening to her cry down the phone just made his heart break. She didn't say much about Charles when he told her about him and the magazine story, but when he told her about his HIV status, she'd begun to cry, which just made him start crying again too. 

When he'd finally hung up the phone, he put his head down on his desk and cried harder than he'd ever cried before.

As he eventually came back to himself from the emotional agony he'd been in, he found a soothing hand stroking the back of his neck and turned to see Charles there, still obviously high but concerned, and Erik just threw himself at him. Pinned him down to the floor right there next to his desk and had his way with him. When it was over, they were a sweaty, sticky mess but Erik didn't want to let go. 

“Charles,” he began, putting his head on Charles's shoulder. “I did some things and I don't think you're going to be particularly happy about them.”

“What did you do?” Charles's voice sounded like he was drifting through the clouds, blissed out on sex and cocaine.

“I had a bank account opened for your use. I replaced all the money that was stolen from your flat and put it in there. That way, you have some money to spend if you want to.”

“You didn't have to do that,” Charles murmured, running fingers through Erik's hair.

“I wanted to,” Erik said. “I also got you a credit card. And you don't have to worry about the bill because I'm paying it.”

“Erik, that's too much,” Charles said softly. “Way too much.”

“It's not enough,” Erik said, shifting around so he was looking at Charles. “I've ruined your life.”

Charles sighed dramatically. “You have not ruined my life. I already knew I wasn't welcome at home; the phone call yesterday just confirmed it. Fuck, Erik, if it wasn't for you, I'd still be standing on that street corner selling my arse every night. Instead I've got you, I've got a lovely place to live, I've got champagne for breakfast, and all the cocaine and sex I want. And that's a big deal that last part. I don't have sex with you because I feel obligated anymore. I have sex with you because I want to.”

Erik took a deep breath. “So will you sign the papers?”

“I'm not high enough that I don't know what I'm doing,” Charles said, suddenly serious. “No, I'm not signing those papers. Not until I feel like I deserve that.”

“What would make you feel like you deserve it then?”

Charles shrugged. “I don't know. I have absolutely no idea how to run an investment company, especially one that's as big as yours is. Maybe you could teach me so if something were to happen to you after I sign those papers then I won't fuck the whole thing up.”

Erik laughed. “You wouldn't fuck the whole thing up. There's an entire board of directors that wouldn't let that happen.”

“See? I don't even know what a board of directors does!” Charles smiled up at Erik. “I'll let you get away with the bank account and the credit card for now, but I'm not signing those papers until I feel I deserve it.”

Erik bent down and kissed him softly. “You deserve everything in the world.”

“So do you,” Charles said, pulling Erik into another kiss. “I know that you promised to take me on an actual date yesterday, but I don't blame you if you don't want to after this.”

“Oh no, we're going on an actual date,” Erik said, grinning at him. “Just not today. I need to make all the arrangements first.”

“You know I'd be happy with like a trip to McDonald's right?”

Erik bent down and kissed him again. “I will have you loving the food of a gourmet chef in no time. Then you won't need greasy things like whatever it is they serve at McDonald's that you like. In fact, I should hire a chef to come in here and cook for us every night. Would you like that?”

“Seriously?” Charles laughed. “Well, I suppose it might be nicer than ordering in every night.”

“Then we shall have a chef,” Erik said, leaning up and reaching for his desk to make a note of that.

Charles waited until Erik was done to pull him back down, kissing him hard and deep. “Can you go again?”

“Already?” Erik bent down and nipped at Charles's ear. “For you, I can do anything.”

Charles grinned and spread his legs wide as Erik swapped out the already used condom for a brand new one, sighing in pleasure as Erik slid into him. Erik stayed sheathed in Charles's body as he moved his legs onto his shoulders, then he leaned forward and started thrusting with interest. 

Charles let out filthy moan after filthy moan, lost in delirious pleasure, and he arched into Erik's thrusts when Erik brought a hand down to wrap around Charles's cock. He stroked Charles languidly, ignoring his repeated cries for him to be faster, and he slowed his thrusts as well, trying to drag this out for as long as he possibly could. 

Erik leaned all the way down to kiss Charles, practically folding him in half, and Charles groaned as the angle changed and Erik started thrusting right into his prostate. He wrapped his arms around Erik's neck so that he couldn't move away, and soon he was arching his back, the pleasure becoming too much, and then a scream tore through him as he climaxed. Erik followed a few moments later, and then they were an even sweatier, stickier mess on the floor, but neither of them cared.

Erik's phone started to ring again, and Erik swore at it, making Charles laugh. Erik pushed Charles's legs back down but didn't move from between them, and he settled his head on Charles's chest. Charles ran his fingers through Erik's hair until he was asleep, and then he just watched.

He had no idea how he'd ended up so lucky, and he was still terrified that someone was going to ruin it all.


	14. Chapter 14

Charles stepped out of the shower to find a button down white shirt and black trousers waiting for him. Erik had left a note as well. _Date night! Wear these. They're appropriate for where we're going._

Charles just shook his head and dried himself off, putting on the clothes that Erik had laid out for him and staring at himself in the mirror. 

He looked absolutely ridiculous, like someone who was pretending to be something they weren't. But this was to make Erik happy, and making Erik happy made him happy, so he trudged out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, finding Erik looking through his closet.

“So how do I look?”

Erik turned to look at him, and he broke out into a brilliant smile. “Totally fuckable. Mmm, we're going to have to save that for after date night.”

“Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?” Charles asked, walking over to the bed and sitting down on it. 

“We are going to a restaurant called L'Astrance,” Erik said, reaching into the closet and pulling out a tie. “It's one of my favorites.”

“I still can't believe you want to be seen in public with me,” Charles murmured, and Erik walked over to him, pulling him up and into a kiss. 

“I will always want to be seen in public with you,” Erik said, letting go of him so he could finish tying his tie. “All that article did was make my feelings towards you stronger. I want to love you and protect you and take care of you for the rest of my life, however long or short that might be.”

“Would you please quit talking like you're going to die tomorrow?” Charles asked, reaching up and sliding the knot of the tie into place. “It makes me uneasy.”

“I will do anything for you, darling.” Erik kissed him again and then looked down at Charles's feet. “Did you not see the shoes?”

“Apparently not,” Charles said. “Where are they?”

“On the counter in the bathroom, still in the box,” Erik said, heading out of the room. “We'll leave as soon as you come down.”

Charles wandered into the bathroom and found the shoes, quickly putting them on. He made his way downstairs, and then Erik led him outside to the car, opening the passenger's door and smiling. Charles just rolled his eyes and climbed into the car, muttering to himself about how Erik was enjoying this far too much.

Erik climbed into the car and buckled himself in, then turned the car on and looked over at Charles. “Please try to enjoy this.”

“I will,” Charles said honestly. “It's just that fancy restaurants aren't really my thing.”

“Well, we will have to make them your thing,” Erik said, pulling away from the flat. 

They rode in silence until Erik brought the car to a stop, and Charles looked around for a moment before becoming very confused. “Erik, we're at an airport.”

“Yes,” Erik said, climbing out of the car. “Come on.”

Charles took a deep breath before climbing out of the car, flinching when Erik laced their fingers together.

“Don't do that,” Erik pleaded softly. “I don't care who sees us.”

Charles just nodded and let Erik lead him into the airport, through the security checkpoint, and into one of the terminals. A cart pulled up in front of them, and the man driving it tipped his cap. “Mr. Lehnsherr. How are you this evening, sir?”

“I'm well,” Erik said, leading Charles to sit on the back of the cart. “Take us to the plane please.”

Charles looked over at Erik as the cart began to move. “Plane?”

“Yes.”

“Where the fuck is this restaurant?”

Erik had the decency to look a little sheepish. “Paris.”

Charles's jaw dropped. “You're taking me to one of your favorite restaurants in Paris.”

“Yes.”

“And when were you planning on telling me that last part?”

“On the plane?” Erik said, leaning over and drawing Charles into a kiss. “I want to romance you right. Nowhere better to do that than the City of Love.”

“You don't need to romance me.”

Erik brought his hand up to stroke Charles's cheek lightly. “You've never had romance, Charles, so yes, I do.”

“But I'm already yours.”

Erik let a large smile spread across his face. “And I am glad to hear that you feel that way. But just because I have you does not mean the romance stops. It means I need to do it even more.”

The cart went through a door and then out onto the tarmac, and Charles looked up to see a small plane. “You have your own plane.”

“I hate traveling commercial,” Erik said, stepping off the cart and taking Charles by the hand. “Come on.”

Charles let Erik lead him over to the plane and then up the steps, and once they were safely ensconced, the engines came to life. Erik waited until they were in the air before heading to the small refrigerator that was there, pulling out two glasses full of champagne. Charles grinned as Erik handed him a glass.

“I really am going to drink all the champagne you have one of these days.”

Erik laughed as he sat down next to him. “You can drink all the champagne you want, darling. I'll just acquire more.”

“That's the second time you've called me darling tonight,” Charles murmured in between sips. “Why?”

“Do you not like it?” Erik asked seriously. “Because I'll stop if you don't like it.”

Charles shook his head. “It gives me a funny feeling in my stomach. But in a good way. Like I'm with someone who truly cares about me.”

“And you are,” Erik said, taking Charles's free hand and bringing it up to kiss. “I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life, Charles. And I'm not just saying that.”

“I've never been in love before,” Charles said, taking another sip of champagne. “But that's the only word that even comes close to how I feel about you.”

Erik polished off his glass and waited until Charles had done the same before setting the crystal to the side. “I've never taken a date to this restaurant before. I've had a few business meetings there, but I always thought that one day I'd find the right person to bring back for the romance. And that person is you.”

Erik leaned in and kissed Charles deeply, smiling into the kiss when Charles kissed back with the same urgency. Erik twisted them around and then pushed Charles back onto the sofa, climbing on top of him and kissing him again. They stayed like that for several minutes, exchanging kisses and breaking away for air only to draw back to each other. Charles was rock hard beneath him and Erik knew he was too, but they couldn't have sex before dinner because they would make too much of a mess. But on the flight home? He had plans for that.

Eventually Erik broke away and laid his head on Charles's chest, and Charles ran a hand up and down Erik's arm. It was a comfortable silence, not awkward in any way, and it made Charles appreciate Erik more. He'd never had anything but uncomfortable, awkward silences with clients or so-called friends, and the fact that he could just lay there with Erik without saying a word meant a lot to him.

Erik felt Charles relax underneath him and he smiled. All he wanted was for Charles to feel comfortable with him, to love him back, and he was starting to feel like Charles really did. He knew that there were still going to be lots of obstacles in the way of their happiness, from the demons that existed in Charles's head to whoever it was that had been following him around to the lawsuit that he hadn't exactly told Charles about yet, but he was starting to believe that everything would be alright. That Charles wanted everything to be alright.

They stayed that way for the rest of the flight.


	15. Chapter 15

When Charles awoke to find another set of brand new clothes sitting on the bed for him, he sighed heavily. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the clothes; it was that his style and Erik's style differed. A lot. 

Still he put them on and wandered downstairs, getting himself a cup of coffee and heading into Erik's office. He sat down across from the desk and listened as Erik finished up a phone call, taking tentative sips from the cup until it sufficiently cooled enough for him to drink.

He could tell Erik was getting frustrated with whoever was on the line because Erik started speaking very slowly, as if speaking to a small child, before breaking out in a flurry of curse words and slamming the phone down. Erik kept his hand on the receiver for a moment before picking it back up and setting it on the desk, taking the phone off the hook. Then he looked up at Charles and smiled. “Good morning, darling.”

“Morning,” Charles murmured, sipping his coffee. “Business deal going wrong?”

“Not exactly.” Erik stood up and walked around the desk, pulling Charles up and into a coffee-flavored kiss. “I'm done with business for the day.”

“Are you really or are you just saying that?” Charles said as he pulled away, sitting back down. “Because if there's business you need to do, you probably should do it.”

“You sound like Hank,” Erik said, moving back to his chair and sitting down. “I'm having a problem with the Australian branch.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The head of it is avoiding my phone calls. This has been happening for almost a month now. Hank wants me to fly down there and take care of it myself, but I don't want to do that. That's what I employ this bitch to do for me.”

“I've never been to Australia,” Charles said softly. “Not sure I'd want to go on a flight that long either.”

“Maybe someday,” Erik said, picking the receiver up and hanging the phone back up. “But not now.”

“So, um,” Charles started, setting his cup on the desk. “I see I have new clothes again.”

“Yes,” Erik said, opening up a drawer and pulling some files out. “Do you like them?”

“They're alright,” Charles murmured. “Not exactly my style.”

Erik thought about that for a moment. “This is going to sound terribly rude, but do you have a style beyond your streetwalking look?”

Charles sighed loudly. “Yes, I do. And I'd kind of like to go shopping and get some clothes I actually want to wear instead of clothes that I feel obligated to wear because you bought them for me.”

Erik looked up at him. “I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything, Charles.”

“I know,” Charles said softly. “That why I want to go shopping.”

“I can have Hank make us an appointment with my favorite Savile Row tailor.”

Charles just shook his head. “I'm not walking around in button down shirts and fancy trousers for the rest of my life.”

“Then we'll go to the High Street,” Erik said, sighing when Charles started shaking his head. “I'm not taking you to fucking Primark, Charles. We'll go to proper clothing stores.”

“To me, Primark is a proper clothing store,” Charles murmured, reaching for his coffee again. After a long sip, he sighed. “I suppose I do have the money to shop on the High Street now.”

“You have the money to do anything that you want,” Erik said seriously. “Money is no object when it comes to you. I still want to convince you to let me buy you a car. A Mercedes, an Aston Martin, a Jaguar. Whatever you want.”

“Considering the fact that one, I don't know how to drive, and two, I almost crashed your car into a lamppost when you tried to teach me, no, I don't think buying me a car is a good idea.” Charles took another sip of his coffee. “And I don't like you saying money is no object. It is to me, alright?”

“If you'd sign the papers, then you'd have half of everything I have, and it really would be no object.”

“I'm not signing those papers, Erik. Not yet.”

“But you're going to someday. That's why you keep saying not yet.”

Charles sighed again. “I don't know.”

“Yes, you do,” Erik stressed. “If you're going to sign them eventually, why don't you just sign them now? It would make me so happy, Charles. I'd know you're taken care of.”

“Don't you think this money should go to your family?”

“Do you not think you are part of my family?” Erik asked seriously.

Charles didn't have a clue how to answer that. “Erik, I'm nothing more than a—”

“You ceased to be a whore the minute you agreed to stay,” Erik said. “And you promised me that on the plane back from Paris.”

“Erik, I said that right after some of the best sex of my life. You cannot take the words I said then as actual meaningful facts.”

“Well, I did,” Erik said, taking a deep breath. “Do you want to leave?”

Charles sipped at his coffee. “No.”

“Then I guess you're staying then, aren't you?”

Charles stood up. “I'm going shopping.”

“I'll go with you then,” Erik said, following him into the kitchen. He cornered him by the counter and slid his arms around Charles's waist. “You never have told me about the clothes the vultures stole from your flat.”

“Stuff that was worthless. Threadbare t-shirts and jeans with a bunch of holes in them. My leather jacket.”

“Leather jacket,” Erik murmured, leaning in for a kiss. “Mmm, yes, I can see you in a leather jacket.”

“You're probably thinking of an entirely different kind of leather jacket than the one I had,” Charles laughed. “I'm not even sure it was real leather.”

“Well, a leather jacket is on the list. What else do you want?”

Charles practically rolled his eyes. “T-shirts and jeans.”

“You're seriously going to live in t-shirts and jeans?”

“And a leather jacket,” Charles said, spinning around in Erik's embrace to put his coffee cup in the sink. “And I don't know what else. I don't need any fancy clothes. You've already bought them for me. And I've never shopped on the High Street before. I've never even been on the High Street before.”

Erik pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and pulled Charles flush against you. “We will go shopping on the High Street on one condition.”

“What?”

“You don't look at a single price tag and think it's too much money.”

Charles sighed. “I know that stuff on the High Street is expensive alright? But I'm not going to buy anything that I think is too ridiculously priced.”

“Then you're not going to buy anything,” Erik said seriously. “The High Street is not Primark, Charles. If you really, truly want to go buy yourself a new wardrobe's worth of clothes, you have to be prepared to spend thousands of pounds on it.”

Charles swallowed hard. “Thousands?”

“Easily,” Erik said, kissing the back of his neck again. “Just put it all on the credit card. I'll take care of the bill.”

“You like taking care of things.”

“I like taking care of you,” Erik murmured, turning Charles back around so they were facing each other. “Please, let me buy you some decent clothes that you feel comfortable in. You can pick out whatever you want. I will give no judgment on them unless you ask for it.”

Charles got a wicked grin on his face. “So if I try on a pair of jeans and I ask you how my arse looks in them...”

“I will follow you into that changing room and probably get us both arrested. So don't do that.”

Charles dissolved into a fit of giggles. “You wouldn't.”

“Oh, I so would.” Erik pulled him into another kiss. “Promise me, no price tag freakouts.”

“Oh, there will be price tag freakouts,” Charles said seriously. “But I will let you buy the clothes for me anyway.”

Erik grinned at him. “Good. Do you want to go out to breakfast before we going shopping? I don't think the stores are open this early.”

Charles took a deep breath. “You're going to be seen with me an awful lot today then.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care who sees us together?” Erik said, pulling Charles closer. “I'm not ashamed of you, Charles. I don't care that some glossy magazine is trying to make me be.”

Charles put his head on Erik's shoulder and let him hold him close. “Then breakfast sounds nice.”

“Great,” Erik said, not breaking their embrace. “I know just the place.”


	16. Chapter 16

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Erik was yelling into the phone as Charles walked into his office. “File the motherfucking lawsuit!”

Charles jumped when Erik slammed the phone down, and Erik looked up at him, anger on his face. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Nothing,” Charles said after a minute, his voice entirely too hurt for his liking. “I'll leave you alone.”

Erik sighed as Charles left the room, banging his head on the desk for a few moments before getting up and going to track down Charles. He caught up to him in the kitchen and pulled him into a deep kiss. “I'm sorry,” he murmured, burying his face in Charles's hair. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay,” Charles murmured back, and it really was. Whatever Erik had been on the phone about had been obviously upsetting, and he wasn't surprised that the anger had been taken out on him. His mother had always done that too. “What was that about?”

Erik sighed and led Charles into the sitting room, sitting down on the sofa and pulling Charles to him. “I'm filing a lawsuit against Alex.”

“Who is Alex?”

Erik let his head fall against the sofa back. “Alex is the man from my previous relationship.”

Charles settled his head on Erik's shoulder. “Oh.”

“He signed a confidentiality agreement, and then he went and sold his story to the fucking tabloids, so now I'm suing him for everything he's worth. I want to ruin him.”

Charles put a hand on Erik's chest and sat up slightly. “While I understand your anger over that, is suing him to the point of ruin really going to make you feel better?”

“He gave me this fucking death sentence,” Erik said firmly. “Yes, it is.”

“Is that part of the lawsuit then?”

Erik took a deep breath and sighed. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don't want my HIV status becoming public knowledge.”

“I can understand that,” Charles murmured, settling back down with his head on Erik's shoulder. “Do you think he knows?”

“Knows what?”

“That he's positive.”

Erik sighed again. “No, I don't. There was a brief discussion about whether we were both clean before we jumped into bed together.”

“Why didn't you use condoms with him anyway?”

Erik let out a bitter laugh. “I met him in a club in Manchester. Picked him up in a club. That first night, neither one of us had one. We were both drunk and horny and so we just said fuck it and had sex without one. After that, we didn't really see the point in using them since we'd already fucked unprotected.”

Charles pressed a kiss to Erik's neck. “I'd tell you that was stupid but I know you already know that.”

“Yes, it was ridiculously stupid,” Erik murmured. “But that's what happened. Nothing can change it now.”

“So are you going to tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

Charles sat up and rolled his eyes at Erik. “That you're positive and that the only person you could have gotten it from was him.”

“Why the fuck should I tell him that?”

“Because,” Charles said seriously. “Because it's the right thing to do, and you know it is.”

Erik pulled Charles into a kiss. “Why do you have to make sense about this? I want to be irrational about him.”

“If you weren't positive because of this guy, I'd let you be,” Charles said. “But think of how many people he could infect if he doesn't find out? How many people he already could have infected. Do you really want that on your conscience?”

Erik pulled Charles into another kiss, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile. He scrolled through the contacts, then pressed the button to make the call. Charles settled against him again, and Erik leaned his head onto Charles's.

“Armando Muñoz please. It's Erik Lehnsherr.”

Silence descended for a few minutes, then Erik started talking again.

“I'm sorry for yelling at you like that earlier, Armando. I'm just extremely emotional about this situation, and I'm going to tell you why. I want this knowledge kept as quiet as you can make it, alright? I've found out that I'm positive and I believe Alex is the one who infected me. I do not believe that he is aware of the fact that he is likely positive. I want you to mention that to his lawyer, please. And cut in half the amount of damages I'm seeking. I need to be more realistic and less vengeful.”

Charles pressed another couple of kisses to Erik's neck, and Erik smiled.

“Well, thank you, Armando. At the moment I'm perfectly healthy, so let's hope it stays that way. Like I said, I want that kept as quiet as possible. I knew you'd understand. Thank you. Talk to you soon.”

Erik hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor, turning and capturing Charles's lips in a deep kiss. “Better?”

“Much,” Charles said, drawing Erik into another kiss. “You should feel better too.”

“Not really,” Erik said, sighing. “I trust Armando to keep that limited to only the people who absolutely need to know it, but there's too much of a possibility of someone leaking it.”

“Well, if they do,” Charles started. “Everyone will just think you got it from me.”

“No,” Erik said firmly. “If that gets leaked, I'm making damn sure that everyone knows I didn't get it from you.”

“What happened to 'Mr. Lehnsherr does not comment on his personal life?'”

“The idea of anyone trashing your reputation.”

Charles laughed. “I don't have the reputation of anyone but a whore, Erik. My reputation is already trashed.”

Erik kissed Charles again. “I'm going to change that.”

“You can't,” Charles murmured. “I'll sign one, if you want me to.”

“Sign what?”

“A confidentiality agreement,” Charles responded. “I'll sign one.”

“I don't want you to,” Erik said seriously. “I said I'd take your word on it, and I meant that. The only thing I want you to sign is the ownership papers.”

“You'll take the word of a whore, but your last boyfriend had to sign one,” Charles said, shaking his head. “That makes absolutely no sense.”

“I love you,” Erik said softly. “And you're not a whore.”

“Then what am I?”

Erik kissed him again. “You're Charles Xavier. You're the most amazing and precious thing in the world to me, the man I want to wake up beside every day for the rest of my life, and you're not my boyfriend. You're the only person I would ever consider to be my partner in all things. That's what you are.”

By the time Erik was finished, Charles had tears in his eyes. One of them slipped down his cheek, and Erik leaned in and kissed it away.

“I love you,” Charles whispered. “I don't ever want to leave.”

Erik pulled him into a kiss. “Then don't.”

The doorbell rang, but Erik just pulled Charles into another kiss, this one harder and deeper than before. It kept ringing, but Erik kept kissing Charles instead of going to answer it. 

He was slowly inching Charles's shirt up when all of the sudden Hank's voice hit his ears.

“Shit. Sorry. Sorry!”

Erik broke the kiss and turned his attention to where Hank was standing with a hand over his eyes. “For fuck's sake, Hank, we're still clothed.”

Hank peeked between his fingers for a moment before lowering his hand. “I'm sorry for interrupting, but I have to talk to you about something now. It really can't wait.”

Erik sighed and kissed Charles one more time. “We will return to this as soon as I'm done.”

Charles nodded as Erik stood up, motioning for Hank to start walking. “Office.”

As soon as they were in the office, Erik shut the door. “What the fuck is so important?”

“The head of the press office used some favors, got me the name of the photographer that followed you around and took the pictures of you and Charles,” Hank said rapidly. “Who the photographer is isn't the important thing. The important thing is that I got who he was working for out of him. Cost a bit of money, but he gave up the name easily.”

Erik sat down at his desk. “How much money? And who is it?”

“Couple thousand pounds,” Hank said. “And it's Moira MacTaggert.”

“Moira MacTaggert,” Erik said, letting that sink it. “Moira MacTaggert is the head of the Australian branch. She's the one who won't return my phone calls.”

“Yes,” Hank said. “I tried calling on your behalf and I got through to her. She's extraordinarily angry with you, but I haven't been able to get the reason out of her.”

“She wants a promotion to the international office,” Erik said, drumming his fingers on the desk. “I won't give her one.”

“That still doesn't seem like enough of a reason to have you followed around.”

“No,” Erik agreed. “It doesn't. She's up to something else.”

“What do you want me to do?” Hank asked.

“Have someone audit the Australian branch,” Erik said after a few moments. “I think she's trying to cover something up, and have blackmail material on me to make sure it stays that way. Which means the photographs can't be all she's done. Try to find out what else she might know.”

“Yes, sir,” Hank said, making notes. “Anything else?”

“Yes,” Erik said, his voice turning deadly serious. “The next time no one answers the door, do not just invite yourself in. Am I clear?”

Hank swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now get out of here.”


	17. Chapter 17

Erik was on the phone in his office, yelling about something Charles didn't understand, and so Charles was in the kitchen, sipping at a cup of coffee. He didn't want to disturb Erik, especially after Erik had confessed to everything Hank had told him the night before.

And that's when the calendar caught his eye.

It was hanging on a wall in a small nook, half hidden in shadows. He walked over to it, changed It to the right month because it definitely wasn't February any more, and then stared at it for a few minutes. 

Erik's mobile was sitting on the shelf in the small nook, and Charles picked it up for a moment and checked the date.

Erik had picked him up for the week on the eleventh of July.

It was now the twenty-second of July.

He'd been there for eleven days.

What the fuck had happened to a week?

Erik. That's what had happened.

Charles was standing there, staring at the calendar, when Erik walked into the kitchen. He bypassed Charles to get himself more coffee, and when Charles didn't even acknowledge his presence, Erik looked at him with concern. “Charles?”

“I've been here for eleven days.”

“Yeah, and?”

“I've been here for eleven days, Erik.”

Erik still didn't understand. “So?”

Charles finally turned and looked at him. “You hired me for a week. It's been more than a week.”

Erik sighed and set his cup of coffee down, walking over to Charles and taking his cup out of his hands, putting it on the shelf in the nook. “Come here,” he murmured, pulling Charles into his arms. “I told you, I want you to stay. I don't care how many days it's been. It's not enough. I want you here every day for the rest of my life.”

“I know,” Charles said after a moment. “And I want to stay. It's just...it's hard to override the feeling in me that I should get paid and get the fuck out of here.”

Erik drew him into a kiss. “And what would you do if I allowed you to do that, hm? Go back to working on the streets? Go back to living in that shitty flat the vultures broke into?”

“Probably,” Charles muttered, inching closer to Erik. “That's why I'm not leaving. I don't want that life anymore.”

“What kind of life do you want?” Erik murmured. “Because I will give you anything you want.”

Charles sniffled, tears forming in his eyes and trailing down his cheeks. “You've already given me so much. A brand new wardrobe, a comfortable place to live, a ton of money that I didn't earn, more love than I will ever deserve. But I am rather bored just hanging around your house. And I just don't know if I will ever be able to get past the way I used to live my life.”

“I don't want you to be bored,” Erik said, reaching up to wipe away Charles's tears. “And the money in your bank account is money you earned, money I paid you for sex. I want to feel horrible about that, but if I'd never cruised that street that night, I never would have met you, and I never would have felt like this. So don't say you didn't earn that money. You did.”

“Erik,” Charles said, his voice shaky. “I've been thinking a lot about the papers.”

“And?”

“And I will sign them someday. Not today, probably not tomorrow, maybe not even this month or this year. But I will sign them someday.”

Erik breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Charles into a deep kiss. “Thank you,” he murmured as he pressed kisses all over his face. “You don't know how happy that makes me, knowing that you'll be taken care of.”

“I need to pay off my debts,” Charles said, his voice still entirely too vulnerable. “To the hospital and to the landlord and to my dealer and to my mother.”

“However much it is, it'll be taken care of,” Erik said, holding Charles close. “Why do you owe your mother money?”

“She shelled out a lot of money for me to go to university in Edinburgh. And then I just left and came to London after graduation. I'm pretty sure she didn't get her money back. And I feel like I owe her for that.”

“Then she will be the first one we pay,” Erik said softly. “So mother, hospital, landlord I get. But I am not letting you anywhere close to a drug dealer.”

“Erik...”

“No,” Erik said firmly. “I'm not letting you anywhere near where you used to work. If that dealer wants to track you down, that's one thing. But I'm not letting you go looking for him. You have my extremely discreet and highly capable dealer from now on. And I guarantee you that you'll get better shit from my dealer than you ever got from yours.”

Charles laughed softly. “If the cocaine is anything to go by, you're right about that.”

“See? No problem there at all. How much money did you owe this dealer anyway?”

“Couple hundred.”

“Forget about it. That's nothing to a dealer.”

“I know, but...”

“But nothing. If we cross paths, we'll pay your debt. But we're not going looking for the guy.”

Charles just nodded, his face buried in Erik's neck. “Do you have a pair of scissors?”

“What do you want scissors for?”

“My hair's getting too long,” Charles said, pressing kisses along Erik's neck. “I want to cut it.”

Erik just shook his head. “Then I will take you to the salon where I get my hair cut. You are not cutting it yourself.”

Charles pulled back. “But Erik...”

“No but Erik anything,” Erik said firmly. “You no longer shop at Primark, and you no longer cut your own hair. Got it?”

Charles put his head back on Erik's shoulder. “Fine. I'll go to your fancy salon.”

“You gave in rather easily there.”

Charles started pressing kisses to Erik's neck again. “Not in the mood to fight.”

“Then what are you in the mood for?” Erik asked, sighing happily when Charles's hand started unbuttoning his shirt. “Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?”

Charles lifted his head up and drew Erik into a passionate kiss. “We haven't done it on the kitchen floor yet.”

Erik laughed and pulled Charles into another kiss, breaking it only to whip Charles's shirt up and over his head. Charles worked harder at getting Erik's shirt undone, and once it was, he quickly shoved it off his arms and let it drop to the floor. Erik pulled him flush against him, groaning with their clothed erections brushed against one another. Their lips met again, and then they were both desperately pawing at each other's pants, trying to get them undone and off as quickly as possible.

Once their pants were pooled around their ankles, Erik broke the embrace and stepped out of his, walking over to a drawer and pulling out lube and condoms, tossing them to the floor. “You sure you want to do this on the floor?”

Charles dropped to his knees and reached for one of the condoms. “Come here and let me blow you.”

Erik groaned at just the thought, bringing his hand down to slowly stroke his already leaking cock. He made his way over to Charles and sighed when Charles moved his hand out of the way and slowly rolled the latex on to it. Charles let his tongue swirl around the head, wishing he could actually taste the saltiness that was Erik. But he shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he took Erik deep, humming his approval when Erik's hands threaded themselves through his hair.

Holy fuck, Erik was close already. Charles's mouth and tongue were talented, and though he didn't really want to think about how much practice had made him that way, there was a small part of him that thanked deities he didn't believe in for it. Charles bobbed his head up and down, licking and sucking and letting his teeth gently graze the sensitive flesh, until he recognized from the ragged thrusts of Erik's hips that he was about to come.

Erik groaned when Charles pulled away, immediately dropping to his knees and kissing Charles as hard as he could. He pulled Charles down to the floor and reached for the lube, making one hell of a mess once he got it open and got some on his fingers, and then he was plunging two of them into Charles, making him spread his legs wide for even better access. He twisted and scissored his fingers until he found Charles's prostate, then stroked it until Charles was begging him to fuck him already.

So Erik pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his cock, and Charles gave such a happy sigh that Erik felt warmth spread through him. “This is where you belong,” Erik said softly, pressing kisses to Charles's chest. “Here with me, like this, for the rest of our lives. You're mine, Charles. Mine. And don't you ever forget it.”

Charles moaned loudly as Erik began to thrust. “Yes, yes, yours, forever, yours.”

Erik started thrusting harder, Charles's hips coming up to meet him, and it wasn't long until they were both screaming out their pleasure, climax hitting them both almost simultaneously. The ended up on the floor as a sweaty, sticky mess, but neither of them cared. Erik moved himself around until he could capture Charles's lips in a deep kiss, and Charles kissed him back just as equally. 

Eventually they broke apart and Erik laid his head on Charles's chest. Charles ran a hand slowly up and down Erik's arm, and they just laid there for a long while.


	18. Chapter 18

Erik was on the phone in his office when the doorbell rang, so Charles got up and made his way to the door. He peeked through the window and saw Hank standing there, so he opened the door and smiled at him. “Hi Hank.”

“Charles,” Hank said, walking in. “Nice shirt.”

Charles looked down at the white shirt with a wild splash on the front of it and smiled. “I like it.”

“That's all that matters,” Hank said, looking around. “Is he here?”

“He's on the phone in his office,” Charles said. “Do you want some coffee or something?”

Hank shook his head. “No. Just have to deliver some bad news to him and I'm not looking forward to it.”

“How bad?” Charles asked.

“Pretty bad,” Hank said, taking a deep breath. “This will probably mean nothing to you, but someone who Erik absolutely hates thinks they can do a hostile takeover of part of the company.”

Hank was right, that meant absolutely nothing to Charles. “What's a hostile takeover?”

“The part of the company that runs the American investments is actually a separate company, and it is listed on the stock exchange in New York,” Hank said. “This person that Erik hates is trying to buy up enough stock in the company to have majority ownership, so fifty-one percent, and at that point, he would be in control of the company.”

“There's enough stock out there for this to happen?” That didn't sound right to Charles; he didn't know much about them, but he knew enough to know Erik would never put his companies is such a position.

“The head of the American branch released more stock into the market without telling Erik about it,” Hank said. “Just enough so that there's fifty-one percent of the company out there in available stock. This guy Erik hates is trying to buy all of it. And he's coming very close. He's already at forty percent ownership.”

“Why would the head of the American branch release more stock into the market without telling Erik?” Charles asked.

Hank started to answer but was interrupted by a yell from Erik's office. “Hank, is that you?”

“Yes sir,” Hank called back, smiling at Charles. “Excuse me.”

Hank made his way to Erik's office and closed the door. “I'm afraid it's bad news, sir.”

“I was expecting that from your email,” Erik said, motioning for Hank to sit down. “How bad?”

“Moira MacTaggert has a deal with Emma Frost,” Hank said. “Frost released more stock in the American company into the market, and Sebastian Shaw has been buying up all the shares he can.”

Erik groaned and ran his hands over his face. “How bad is it?”

“There's fifty-one percent of the company now available in stock,” Hank said. “Shaw's at forty percent. As you already know, Frost has ten percent of the company based on her agreement with you. All he needs is another one percent of the company and Frost's ten percent to be in full control of the company.”

“I've never had a problem with Emma,” Erik said, looking at Hank. “Why is she suddenly trying to help Shaw with a hostile takeover?”

“Because she's involved in a relationship with him,” Hank said, reaching for a folder and handing it over to Erik. “They got caught at dinner together by the New York press yesterday.”

Erik opened up the folder and stared at the photograph inside. “Fucking bitch. How does MacTaggert factor in?”

“She's got an agreement with Frost to release enough stock into the Australian markets for Shaw to do the same thing to the Australian branch. She's already agreed to sell her ten percent to Frost. The formal transfer hasn't happened yet, because she knows you'd be made aware of it.”

Erik closed his eyes and silently counted to ten in an attempt to control his anger. “And this is all because I wouldn't promote her to the international office?”

“Apparently so, sir. There's more.”

“What?”

“Bacon's right hand man, Janos Quested. He's been in Australia romancing MacTaggert for about six months. He's promised MacTaggert a massive promotion in Hellfire Incorporated once the hostile takeovers in America and Australia are done.”

“How did you learn all of this?” Erik asked. “Because you know a hell of lot more than I suspect some lower downs would know.”

“Angel Salvadore,” Hank said, handing over another folder. “I've got written statements from her. We can't do anything in Australia because they haven't started there yet, but we can get the Securities and Exchange Commission to do an investigation into market manipulation and possibly insider trading in America.”

Erik opened the folder, glancing over the papers inside. “Salvadore is turning on Shaw. Interesting.”

“She'd like a job in the international office when this is over,” Hank said. “I didn't guarantee her one, but I said I'd talk to you about it.”

Erik shut the folder and set it on his desk. “Offer Frost and MacTaggert ten times what their stock is worth to get it back in my hands. If they refuse to sell, threaten Frost with the SEC investigation and tell MacTaggert you know about her deal with Frost. Fire them both after we get the stock back in my hands. I'll work on what I want to do about Shaw and Hellfire owning forty percent of my American branch. But buy up as much stock in the American market as you can. We've got to keep it out of his hands.”

“Yes sir,” Hank said, making himself notes. “Should I tell Salvadore anything?”

“Tell her she has a job once I get all this straightened out. But I'm not hiring her away from Hellfire until then.”

Hank nodded, making note of that. “Also, this envelope came to the office,” he said, handing it over. “It says it's from Alex Summers, so I didn't open it.”

Erik took the envelope from Hank and started counting to ten in his head again. “Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“You are going to need to come back into the office at some point, sir. I cannot keep putting off all these meetings.”

“I'll be in next week.”

“That's what you said last week.”

Erik glared at Hank. “I said I will be in next week.”

Hank nodded and stood up. “Yes sir.”

“On your way out, send Charles in here,” Erik said, staring at the envelope in his hands. 

“Yes sir,” Hank said, opening the door and walking through the kitchen into the sitting room. “Charles? Erik would like to see you in his office.”

Charles looked up from where he was reading through a magazine and nodded. “Alright. Thanks Hank.”

“He's angry,” Hank said as he started to walk away. “Just a warning.”

Charles set the magazine to the side and made his way to Erik's office, leaning in the doorway. “Is everything alright?”

“No,” Erik said, his voice extremely vulnerable. “Come here.”

Charles walked into the office and around the desk, settling himself in Erik's lap and putting his head on Erik's shoulder. “What's that?”

“It's from Alex,” Erik said softly. “It came to the office.”

“Are you going to open it?”

“I was waiting until you were here,” Erik said, tearing the envelope open. His eyes read through the words written there, and then he handed it to Charles. “Read it.”

Charles took the letter and let his eyes scan through the words, and he felt the anger build up inside him. “He thinks you infected him because you pick up whores.”

“Yep.”

“You told me I was the first.”

“You were.”

“So this is all bullshit.”

“Yep.”

Charles set the letter on the desk and pressed a kiss to Erik's neck. “I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault,” Erik said, his voice still vulnerable. “I'm afraid he's going to counter sue me now. Claim I infected him. Let the whole world find out that I'm positive.”

“I know you want it to stay private,” Charles said softly. “But if they did find out, it wouldn't really change anything. It's not like you're out cruising the clubs looking for sex.”

“I know,” Erik said, turning to Charles and kissing him gently. “I just don't want my private business splashed across the pages of newspapers and magazines.”

“I can understand that,” Charles said, “but it already has been. And if you want to start bringing me to these premieres and events you get invited to, you better be prepared for it to be again.”

“I know,” Erik said. “But someday they'll get over the supposed scandal of you and I being together, and then hopefully they'll leave us alone.”

“I think I'm always going to be seen as a whore in their minds,” Charles said. “Even long after I stop considering myself one.”

“I'd love to tell you otherwise, but probably,” Erik said, kissing Charles deeply. “And you're not a whore.”

The phone on Erik's desk rang and he reached for it. “Hello?”

Charles settled his head back against Erik's shoulder, hearing muffled conversation come through the phone. He jumped when Erik slammed his fist down against the desk and started cursing. Eventually he heard Erik say “thank you, Hank” and hang up the phone.

“What's wrong?” Charles asked, pressing kisses to Erik's neck. “Please tell me what's wrong.”

“They leaked it,” Erik said, his voice shaky. “Alex's lawyer. They leaked it to one of the tabloids. It's all over online, and it'll be in the papers tomorrow.”

Charles wrapped his arms around Erik's neck and just held him until he felt Erik relax against him. “Is there anyone else you need to tell before they read it in a newspaper?”

“No,” Erik said, wrapping his arms around Charles's waist. “I fucking knew this was going to happen. This is why I didn't want to tell Alex.”

“I know,” Charles murmured. “But you did the right thing.”

Erik was silent for a moment. “I know. You made me and you were right.”

“So I guess you want to hide out here for a few days now?”

Erik shook his head. “Absolutely not. We have date night tonight, and we are going on that date.”

“You're not going to fly me to a foreign country tonight are you?”

Erik laughed. “No. Just take you to Mayfair. Ever heard of The Colony Club?” 

“No.”

“Well, that's where we're going. One of the most exclusive restaurants in Mayfair.”

Charles shifted around and kissed Erik firmly. “Sounds nice. Is there going to be something I will eat on the menu this time?”

“You loved what I ordered you in Paris.”

“I did,” Charles said. “But I had no idea what you ordered me until it came, and then I wasn't sure how to eat it.”

Erik laughed, pulling Charles closer. “Well, the menu will be in English this time, and you can choose whatever you want.”

Charles captured Erik's lips in a deep kiss. “It's going to be okay, Erik. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Erik murmured. “And that's all that matters to me. You by my side.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Charles said, kissing him again. “Now, do you want to tell me what Hank wanted?”

Erik sighed. “No. But I will anyway.”


	19. Chapter 19

Erik sat in the waiting room anxiously. The appointment was supposed to last an hour, but it had been an hour and a half, and he was worried about Charles. Charles had finally asked him for help, for someone who could help him work through everything that had happened to him, and Erik had wasted no time in getting him an appointment with the best psychologist in London. He knew in the back of his mind that this man would be able to help Charles, but that didn't stop him from worrying about the fact that Charles was in that room alone, talking about something that he'd only dared to tell Erik before.

Erik stood up the minute the door opened, and the moment he noticed Charles's tears, he went straight to him and pulled him into an embrace. The psychologist put a gentle hand on Charles's shoulder and said he was looking forward to next week. Charles nodded into Erik's shoulder, and then Erik was guiding him out of the office, not letting go until they reached the car.

As soon as the car doors were closed, Erik reached for Charles again, pulling him into a deep kiss. “I love you.”

“I know,” Charles said, sniffling. “And thank you for taking me. It's just really hard to relive all of that. He asked a lot of questions, and we didn't even get to most of it. I think this is going to take a long time.”

“Well, for however long it takes, I'll be there for you,” Erik murmured, drawing Charles into another kiss. “Would you like to go home now?”

Charles nodded and Erik sat back in his seat, buckling himself in before starting the car. The ride back to Erik's house was silent except for the radio playing softly, and as soon as Erik parked his car, Charles was out of it. He waited impatiently by the front door until Erik let them inside, and then he practically tore off his leather jacket, tossing it to the floor and backing Erik up against the door.

Erik groaned as Charles kissed him hard, nipping at his lower lip until Erik opened his mouth to him. Charles struggled with getting Erik's suit coat off, and then he tore Erik's shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. Erik brought his hands up to Charles's head, tilting it slightly so he could get a better angle into the kiss, and soon they were grinding against each other, clothed erections brushing with every movement of their hips.

Erik was the first to break away, resting his forehead against Charles's and sucking in some air. “I'm going to come in my pants if we keep this up.”

Charles laughed and started tugging Erik by his belt, leading him into the sitting room. “Want to do a line or two before we do this?”

Erik just nodded and Charles disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with a cutting board and a couple of little bottles. “You have a fiver?”

Erik dug into his pants, grabbed his wallet, and pulled out the first note he could get. He tossed it at Charles and then watched as he made two white lines on the cutting board, then rolled the note up and snorted them both. Charles brought the cutting board over to Erik's lap and then made another couple of lines, handing the rolled up note over to him.

Erik stared at them for a moment. “Is doing two lines alright?”

“I do it all the time,” Charles murmured, laying back on the sofa and reaching down to undo his jeans. “Come on, you agreed to this.”

Erik nodded and bent down, snorting up the first line then the second. Charles knocked the cutting board to the ground, climbing into Erik's lap and kissing him hard. Erik's hands came up to whip Charles's shirt over his head, and then their lips met again, kisses becoming sloppier as the haze of the high settled into them. Erik picked Charles up and lowered him to the floor, then reached for the side table drawer and got the condoms and lube. Charles grinned up at him and wormed his way out of his pants, tossing them somewhere and spreading his legs wide. Erik couldn't get his pants off fast enough, and then he was pouring lube onto his fingers and plunging them into Charles's body, grinning at the noises Charles was making. 

“You're mine, aren't you?” Erik asked, scissoring his fingers and drawing more delicious moans from Charles's lips. “Say it. Tell me you're mine.”

“Yours,” Charles breathed out, yelping when Erik's fingers brushed his prostate. “Oh fuck, yours, yours, yours, forever yours.”

Erik kept massaging the bundle of nerves until Charles was writhing on the carpet, begging him to stop even though he wanted the exact opposite. He never wanted Erik to stop. He wanted to spend the rest of his life having sex with Erik.

Erik grabbed a condom with his free hand and ripped it open with his teeth, sliding it onto his cock and then he pulled out his fingers and slid all the way in to the hilt. Charles was still writhing on the floor, and his walls clenched around Erik's cock, and Erik had to bring a hand tightly around the base of his cock so he didn't come immediately.

Fuck, Charles was beautiful like this. All flushed and blissed out, begging with his pretty mouth for Erik to fuck him good, staring up at him with glazed over eyes that still managed to project how much Charles loved him. Erik wanted to keep him that way for the rest of his life.

Erik used his hands to spread Charles's legs impossibly wide, then started thrusting slowly, dragging things out at the slowest pace he could stand. Moan after pretty moan spilled from Charles lips, and Erik stared down at Charles's cock, flushed and hard and leaking at the tip. He quickly reached for another condom then rolled the latex onto Charles's cock, stopping his thrusts and bending down to take it into his mouth.

Charles screamed with pleasure, Erik's lips around his cock, Erik's cock still slightly inside him. He felt like his senses were overloaded, like he couldn't take much more, and it wasn't long until he was screaming Erik's name as his orgasm tore through him. He felt like he was being ripped apart and then put back together all at once, and he laid there shivering on the floor as Erik let his cock fall from his lips.

And then Erik began to thrust again, and Charles thought he was going to die from the pleasure of it all. It was a heady mixture of drugs and sex, and it was easily the most amazing thing Charles had ever felt. Erik trailed kisses up Charles's body until they were face to face, and then they were kissing heavily, deep and insistent, breaking apart to barely breathe and then coming back together. Erik kept his thrusts slow despite the fact that he wanted to speed them up, trying to make this amazing feeling last for as long as he possibly could. 

Charles groaned when Erik started kissing along his jaw, up to his ear, and then down his neck, lavishing attention on each bit of skin he came across. They'd had cocaine-fueled sex many times before, but nothing like this. Nothing even close. 

“I love you,” Erik murmured into the nape of Charles's neck, sighing when Charles's hands came up to tangle in his hair. “God, I love you so much. You're mine, darling. Mine forever.”

“Yours,” Charles breathed out. “So completely yours. You have all of me, baby. Absolutely all of it.”

Erik groaned at Charles's words and started to pick up the speed of his thrusts, knowing he wouldn't be able to last much longer. His hips snapped back and forth as he continued to lick, suck, and bite at Charles's neck, determined to mark him. Charles was letting out a litany of moans, each and every one being seared onto Erik's heart. He never wanted to hear anyone else making those noises ever again. Just Charles. Only Charles.

The thought was enough to send him over the edge, and he froze as his climax hit him, sinking his teeth into the nape of Charles's neck as he came. He collapsed on top of Charles when it was over, and he was the one to groan when he felt Charles's hard cock press against his belly. Erik lifted himself up just enough to get a hand in between them, and then he jerked Charles off until he was coming again, screaming Erik's name.

God, he loved the fact that Charles was a screamer.

He collapsed back on top of Charles, and gulped in deep breaths, and Charles's hands gently massaged the back of his neck and down between his shoulders. They were both totally high and totally drunk on each other, and when Erik shifted to capture Charles's lips with is own, it was like finding water in the middle of a desert. 

He needed Charles more than he'd ever needed anyone in his life, and he was pretty sure Charles felt the same way about him.

Erik lifted himself up just enough to see the lovebite he'd made on Charles's neck, then decided it wasn't good enough, so he pushed forward to work on it some more, his cock sliding back deep into Charles's body. He knew he really should pull out, at least change the condom before they went again, but Charles's walls clenched around him and Erik groaned into Charles's neck, sinking his teeth into the spot of the bruise. 

Charles groaned as Erik worked at his neck, feeling Erik harden within him. He began to squirm around underneath him, sighing happily when he felt Erik's arousal build more and more. He was not about to let the first round be the only round they went, even if his back was stinging from writhing around on the carpet. 

Erik pulled away from Charles's neck and kissed his way back to his mouth, plunging his tongue deep into it as he started to lightly thrust again. It was slightly painful, sensitive flesh being made to work again, but soon pleasure was overriding the pain, and he was fucking Charles hard, all the way in to the hilt on each stroke, and taking him so well that Erik knew he could have taken more. Their kisses got sloppy again and then Erik rested his forehead against Charles's and stared down into his eyes. 

“Say it,” he pleaded. “Say you love me.”

“I love you,” Charles said automatically, his eyes telling Erik it was the truth. “I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Just please don't stop. Don't ever stop.”

Erik laughed and captured Charles's lips again, reaching between them to wrap a hand around Charles's dick. “You want to come again for me, darling? Look at you, so hard already when you've already come twice. Only I can make you this way. Only I can have you like this.”

“Only you,” Charles breathed out, yelping when Erik started to jerk him. “Oh, fuck, only you, baby.”

It wasn't long until they were both close, and Erik started using his thumb to rub the head of Charles's cock, smearing the liquid trapped inside the condom around until Charles arched his back and came again. He tightened up around Erik and that drew Erik over the edge, and then they collapsed together on the floor. Charles was spread out, arms and legs as wide as they possibly could be, and Erik was on top of him, in between those legs, nipping and sucking at where he'd marked him.

“That was fucking amazing,” Charles said after a few minutes, when he had enough air in his lungs to breathe again. “You...you're just brilliant.”

Erik laughed. “You're pretty amazing yourself. Do you want me to move?”

“No,” Charles said, bringing his arms to wrap around Erik's neck. “Stay here. Don't leave me.”

“I'm not leaving you,” Erik said, kissing the lovebite. “I'm not going anywhere.”


	20. Chapter 20

It had been fifty-nine days.

It had become a routine. Come down into the kitchen in the morning, get a cup of coffee, and then walk over to the calendar and mark off the day. Count up all the marks, realize how long it had been since both Erik and the therapist had told him in session that he wasn't a whore, and remind himself that he definitely wasn't that whore anymore.

When Charles did it that day, it had been fifty-nine days since the last time he'd considered himself a whore. Fifty-nine glorious days without thinking of himself as useless, without thinking of himself as worthless, fifty-nine days with Erik, of being told he was loved, of being cared for, of being treated like a human being instead of a piece of filth. 

Tomorrow would be two months. Two life-changing months. Something deep inside Charles wanted to freak out about that, but he suppressed it. The last two months had been the best two months of his life.

He sipped at his coffee cup and stared at the calendar, smiling when a pair of arms slid around his waist and a kiss was placed along his neck. “Hi.”

“Good morning, darling,” Erik murmured, kissing his neck again. “How many days is it?”

“Fifty-nine,” Charles answered, sipping at his coffee. “It'll be two months tomorrow.”

“Best two months of my life,” Erik said, pressing a kiss behind Charles's ear. “Or, well, four months. You've been here for four months.”

“I know,” Charles murmured. “But I've only felt like I've belonged here for the last two.”

Erik spun Charles around and smiled at him. “I'm so glad you feel that way now.”

Charles set his coffee down on the shelf and pulled Erik into a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around Erik's neck and keeping him there. “You told me for a long time that this was home. It just took me some time to realize you were right.”

“I'm always right,” Erik said, laughing when Charles rolled his eyes. “Do you have a driving lesson today?”

“No, that's only on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Charles said, shaking his head. “I still can't believe you bought me an Aston Martin.”

“I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

“Yes, to a man who can't drive.”

“You drove last night,” Erik pointed out. “You did well.”

“I'm getting used to that too,” Charles said, pulling Erik into another kiss. “Business done?”

“I've got to go into the office this afternoon. I'm trying to buy a shipbuilding company that operates out of Glasgow. I may need to go up there and meet with the ownership in person.”

Charles sucked in a deep breath. “I suppose you would like me to go with you.”

“I always want you with me,” Erik said, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from Charles's face. “But I would never make you go to Glasgow if you didn't want to. I know what that place means.”

“Thank you,” Charles murmured, kissing him again. “I don't think I could.”

“Completely understandable,” Erik said, running his fingers through Charles's hair. “Your hair is getting long.”

“I kind of like it,” Charles said, smiling at him. “Gives you something to hold on to when we fuck.”

Erik groaned and pulled Charles flush against him, meeting his lips in a hard, deep kiss. “We could try that out right now.”

“We could,” Charles said, letting go of Erik. “But I haven't had breakfast yet. And neither have you.”

“I had toast,” Erik said. 

“That's not breakfast,” Charles mumbled, worming his way out of Erik's embrace and heading to the refrigerator. “I was thinking eggs, bacon, and mimosas.”

Erik walked over to where Charles was and wrapped his arms around him again. “How about we go out for breakfast instead? We can go to that little café you like.”

“There will be photographers.”

“There's been photographers for most of the last four months, and you've learned to ignore them.”

“I know,” Charles said. “But I'm still concerned about what I'm doing for your reputation.”

“I don't give a fuck about my reputation. There is absolutely nothing about you that I am ashamed of, no matter who is trying to make me be.”

Charles spun around in Erik's arms. “But I'm nothing but a—I'm nothing but a person with a shady past.” 

Erik grinned at him. “I should start rewarding you every time you catch yourself from saying that.”

“Oh, and what will you be rewarding me with?”

Erik backed Charles up against the refrigerator, closing the door in the process. “Would a blowjob suffice?”

Charles groaned at the thought and then Erik dropped to his knees in front of him. “Condom,” he mumbled, arousal taking over as Erik mouthed at his cock through his jeans.

“Already taken care of,” Erik said, pulling a condom out of his pocket.

“Someone was confident,” Charles teased, gasping when Erik's mouth closed around the clothed head of his cock. “Open my fucking pants already.”

“Someone is eager,” Erik teased back, undoing the fly of Charles's jeans and pushing his underwear out of the way, grinning when his hard cock bounced out in front of him. 

Charles groaned as Erik rolled the condom onto it, then pressed his palms flat against the refrigerator when Erik's mouth closed around the head of his cock. “Oh fuck.”

Erik responded by running his tongue around the head, then took Charles deep on the first try. He let his teeth lightly graze the sensitive flesh on the way back, and moan after moan was spilling from Charles's lips. Erik set a fast pace, taking him deep and pulling back before doing it again. Charles started to thrust his hips and Erik pulled back, grinning up at him.

“Fuck my mouth, darling.”

Charles wasn't about to turn down an invitation like that. He reached out and grasped Erik's head, holding him still while he thrust into that fantastic mouth. Erik opened his throat to him, and Charles buried himself deep before pulling out and thrusting back in. Erik's tongue was sliding over every bit of cock it could get, and it wasn't long before Charles's thrusts became more erratic. Erik reached up and pinned his hips to the refrigerator, took Charles deep, and sucked him for all he was worth. Charles let out a scream and came, sliding down the refrigerator door once Erik let go of him.

Erik grasped him as Charles tipped forward into him, kissing him deep. “Was that a good enough reward?”

“I think your rewards are going to kill me,” Charles said after a moment. “Holy fuck, baby.”

Erik grinned. “You're the first person I've ever let call me that, you know.”

“What, baby?” Charles asked. “Is that why you always said it would be an extra thousand if I didn't call you that? Do you not like it? 'Cause I can change it, Erik. I can call you something else.”

“No, no,” Erik soothed, petting Charles's hair. “I like it. Just like how you're my darling.”

“I like being your darling,” Charles said, putting his head on Erik's shoulder. “I don't think I can walk right now.”

Erik laughed. “Then my job is accomplished.”

“It's not fucking funny,” Charles said, swatting at Erik's face. “You're going to kill me with all this glorious sex someday.”

“Well, I can't be doing that,” Erik said, shifting around until he could lift Charles into his arms and stand up. “And I guess if you can't walk, I'll just have to take you back to bed.”

Charles groaned as Erik walked towards the stairs. “The last time you did this, we had sex for three hours.”

“I know,” Erik said, grinning at him. “I was thinking we should go for four this time.”

“You're going to kill me,” Charles murmured, but he started pressing kisses to Erik's neck and unbuttoning the buttons he could get at. “Charles Xavier died whilst being fucked into oblivion by Erik Lehnsherr. Make sure my tombstone says that.”

Erik laughed. “I will, don't you worry.”


	21. Chapter 21

Charles looked at himself in the mirror before reaching up to his tie. His hands were shaking, and for once, it didn't have anything to do with withdrawal. No, he was just nervous, and he was certain that Erik wouldn't let him do any cocaine before they went to calm himself down, and holy fuck, he was going to fuck everything up.

Erik walked into the bathroom and pulled Charles to him, dropping a kiss behind his ear. “You look amazing.”

“I'm nervous as fuck,” Charles said shakily. “I'm really not sure this is a good idea.”

“The invite said me plus one,” Erik said, tightening his arms around Charles's waist. “You're my plus one for the rest of our lives.”

“Who did you used to take to these things?” Charles asked, sliding the knot into place and leaning his head back against Erik's shoulder.

“Hank,” Erik said, kissing his forehead. “I took Raven a couple of times to things I knew she'd like as a thank you for all the shit she's done for me over the years, but mostly just Hank. He always skipped the red carpet though. No one needed his picture.”

“No one needs mine,” Charles said, groaning when Erik spun him around and backed him up against the counter.

“Charles, it has been six months. Despite my objections, our relationship is well established in the media now. It would look far stranger for me to show up at this by myself then it would for us to show up together.” Erik leaned in and kissed him softly. “Besides, I want to show you off.”

“There's nothing to show off,” Charles murmured against Erik's lips. “I'm nothing special.”

Erik pulled back and gave Charles a stern look. “You are not supposed to talk about yourself like that anymore.”

“I just mean, you're Erik fucking Lehnsherr, a fucking billionaire, and I'm just this scrawny kid from Glasgow who used to sell himself on the streets, and they all know that.”

“You're my world,” Erik said firmly. “You're my everything. You're my partner, Charles. And that makes you very special.”

Charles blinked away tears and buried his face in Erik's neck. “I know, I know. I just need to hear it sometimes.”

“And I will be here to tell you every time you need to hear it,” Erik murmured. “Now come on, the car is likely here.”

Charles nodded and they made their way downstairs and out the door to the waiting car and driver. They settled in the backseat and the driver took off, and Erik made sure to hold Charles's hand, squeezing it every time he felt it shake. It wasn't long before they were pulling up in front of the The Ritz, and Charles gave Erik a worried look before the door opened. Erik just squeezed his hand and got out of the car.

The first thing Charles noticed as he climbed out of the car was the intensity of the flashbulbs that were going off. He was certain he wouldn't be able to see anything ever again. But then Erik's hand slipped into his and he was led down the red carpet, pausing every once and awhile to have their photograph taken. And though Charles tried to slip away, Erik wrapped an arm around his waist, pulled him close, and quietly reminded him to smile.

By the time they made it inside the hotel, Charles felt like he'd lived another life.

The party Erik had been invited to – Charles hadn't really listened when Erik told him what it was for – was taking place in the hotel's largest ballroom, and as soon as they walked into it, a waiter was in front of them with a tray full of champagne flutes. Erik took one and then handed it to Charles when Charles didn't reach for his own, taking another for himself and thanking the waiter. He brought the crystal to his lips and sipped at it, nudging Charles lightly in the ribs.

“It's champagne, Charles. As I recall, you rather like it.”

Charles turned to Erik and stared at him with serious eyes. “I don't belong here.”

“Yes, you do,” Erik said, wrapping an arm around Charles's waist and walking them further into the party. “Don't worry. I'll be by your side all night, and if anyone asks you what it is you do, tell them you work alongside me.”

“I don't work alongside you,” Charles said.

“Yes, but no one will know that,” Erik said, smiling when someone called out his name. “Are you ready to mingle?”

“No,” Charles said, finally bringing the crystal to his lips for a sip. “But I suppose we're going to anyway.”

Erik brought Charles over to the person who had called out his name, introduced them quickly, and then started talking about things that Charles knew nothing about. He polished off his glass of champagne fairly quickly, and reached behind Erik to stop a passing waiter to get another. Erik moved seamlessly from one person to another, knowing exactly who they were and exactly what to talk about with them, and Charles couldn't help himself from feeling like he was in another world. He didn't know who any of these people were, except for the few he recognized from the films and television that he and Erik had watched together, and he certainly didn't have anything to say to any of them.

Erik got into a deep discussion with someone about an hour into the party, and his arm fell from around Charles's waist so he could use his hands in an attempt to describe something – Charles wasn't entirely sure what – to the woman he was talking to. Someone tapped Charles on the shoulder and said excuse me, and Charles moved so they could slide in between him and Erik, and then a whole host of people went through the opening and they were separated.

Charles was terrified. He could see Erik, but Erik hadn't yet noticed that they'd been separated, and Charles was too frozen to the spot to try and make his way back to him.

And then a man stopped in front of him and gave him a wicked grin. “How much for a blowjob in the bathroom?”

“Excuse me?” Charles asked automatically, while his mind was screaming at him to get Erik's attention.

“Oh, don't act like I don't know who you are, pretty boy,” the man said, taking a step closer to Charles. “You're Lehnsherr's whore, and I'm asking you how much it'll be for you to get on your knees for me in the bathroom.”

“No, no,” Charles started to say, but the man reached into his coat and pulled out his wallet, and Charles fell silent.

“I've got six hundred pounds on me,” the man said, looking through his wallet. “Will that be enough?”

Charles just shook his head, unsure of his own voice, and he glanced over at Erik who had obviously still not realized they'd been separated. The man took another step towards him and Charles took a step back, which made the man laugh. 

“Let me guess, Lehnsherr's got you convinced you're a high-dollar whore now,” the man said, reaching out to run a hand down the lapel of Charles's suit coat. “We both know that where you really belong is on the streets, am I right? Now come on, take the six hundred and let's go.”

“No,” Charles said, shaking his head. 

“Listen, pretty boy,” the man said, coming way too close and invading Charles's personal space, “we both know that you're going to do this because this is what you do. So stop putting up a fight and let's go.”

Charles shook his head again and the man reached out, grabbing him by the wrist. “Fine, we'll do this my way then.”

The man started to walk away and take Charles with him, but then a hand reached out and grasped Charles firmly around the elbow. “What the fuck do you think you're doing?”

Charles felt himself relax at the sound of Erik's voice, and he turned his face to him, pleading with him to make this stop.

“Oh, Mr. Lehnsherr, I was just going to take your whore on a little joy ride,” the man said, refusing to let go of Charles's wrist. “You don't mind do you? I'll be a paying customer and everything.”

Charles felt Erik brush past him and the next thing he knew a gasp went through the crowd and everyone's eyes were on them.

Erik had punched the guy.

“I would appreciate it if you would not speak about my _partner_ in that way,” Erik spit out, reaching for Charles's hand and pulling him out of the ballroom. 

Charles followed along until they were in the hotel lobby, and then Erik was pulling him to him, whispering in his ear. 

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize we were separated, I would have been there sooner if I had, I'm so, so sorry, Charles.”

Charles just buried his face in Erik's neck. “It's okay,” he said after a few minutes. “I know. I was trying to tell him no, but he wouldn't listen.”

“I'm so sorry,” Erik murmured, pulling Charles back and drawing him into a kiss. “Fucking asshole never should have gotten near you.”

“It's okay,” Charles said into another kiss. “I'm alright.”

“Are you sure?” Erik asked, staring deep into his eyes. 

“Yes,” Charles said, reaching for Erik's hand. “The question is, are you? You punched him pretty hard.”

“I'm fine,” Erik said as Charles kissed his knuckles. “Boxing is part of my training regime. Really, I'm fine.”

Charles took a deep breath and then polished off the glass of champagne still in his other hand. “I take it we're not going back in there?”

“Not a fucking chance in hell,” Erik said, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “I'll call Hank. He can give us a ride home and take care of the PR disaster that I probably just created.”

“The photographers out there are all going to know we left the party early, right?”

“I don't fucking care,” Erik said, pressing the button that would call Hank. “We're not going back in there.”

“It was bound to happen, Erik,” Charles said. “I told you, they all know who I am.”

“Yes, well, apparently it hasn't been made clear enough who you are to me,” Erik said seriously. “Hank! We're at The Ritz, come get us. I'll explain on the way home.”

Erik hung up the phone before Hank could say a word, and he pulled Charles back to him. “I love you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Charles's ear. “I love you so much, and I'm so sorry.”

“I love you too,” Charles said, sliding his arms around Erik's waist and putting his head on his shoulder. “And it's okay, really.”

“You keep saying that. I don't see how that's possible.”

“Because,” Charles said, kissing Erik's neck. “There wasn't even a single bit of me that thought the thing to do was to go with that guy because he was right about me. He wasn't right. I'm not a whore. I'm your partner, and I don't deserve to be treated that way.”

Erik pulled Charles into a kiss, grinning at him. “It's so wonderful to hear you say that.”

“Yeah, well, this is sort of the first time I've been tested, you know,” Charles mumbled. “It's easy to say it when no one is wanting me to blow them in a bathroom. It's different when someone does.”

“I'm so proud of you,” Erik said, pulling Charles into another kiss. “You've come such a long way, Charles.”

“And I have a long way still to go,” Charles said softly. “But I know I can do this now. I doubt it will be the only time it happens.”

“It will be if I have any say in it,” Erik practically growled.

“Calm down,” Charles said, reaching up to straighten Erik's tie. “You can't go around punching people all the time. You'll never be invited to these things again, and then I'll never get to taste the free champagne.”

“You can have all the champagne you want at home.”

“And I do,” Charles said, smiling at him. “But it was kind of nice to have it in a fancy place tonight, even if I don't belong in fancy places.”

Erik started to talk but was interrupted by his phone going off. He answered it. “What? Good.”

Charles just shook his head. “You should be nicer to Hank.”

“I am, most of the time,” Erik said, taking Charles by the hand and leading him towards the door. “Let's go home.”

“Sounds wonderful.”


	22. Chapter 22

The doorbell rang one afternoon while Erik was at a meeting, and Charles went to answer it. He'd just ordered a pizza, and while it seemed as though it was too soon for the pizza to have arrived, maybe he just caught them on a slow day and was lucky.

Then he opened the door and found himself face to face with Freddie, and the first thing he thought was fuck.

“Charles!” Freddie exclaimed, stepping into the house and wrapping him up in a big hug. He smelt of smoke and sex, and Charles was suddenly overwhelmed with memories that he'd managed to suppress over the previous six months. “It's so great to see you, man.”

“How did you know where I was?” Charles asked, definitely not returning the hug. “Why are you here?”

Freddie let go of Charles and wandered further into the flat. “Holy shit, you lucked out with this john.”

Charles sighed and shut the door, realizing he wasn't going to get rid of Freddie easily. “I would prefer you not speak about Erik like that.”

“Oh, he's Erik now, is he?” Freddie asked, wandering into the kitchen and picking up the bottle of champagne that Charles had left sitting there. “Oh my God, I've always wanted to try this shit.”

Before Charles could say anything, Freddie picked up the bottle and drank straight from it, and Charles made a mental note to throw that bottle out the minute he got Freddie to leave. “What do you want, Freddie?”

“No how are you? No it's great to see you?” Freddie shook his head as he took another swig from the bottle. “For fuck's sake, Charles, we were best friends and now you've been gone for six fucking months and you can't even ask how I am?”

“We were never best friends,” Charles clarified. “And I want to know why you're here. You've obviously figured out that I don't walk the streets anymore.”

“Which means you must be making a ton of money being here as Lehnsherr's sex slave,” Freddie said, setting the champagne bottle down. “Which must be fabulous because I could tell from those jeans he wore that day you took him to your flat that he's got a big cock. But basically I'm here because I got into some trouble and I'm hoping you can help get me out of it.”

“I am not Erik's sex slave,” Charles said. “I am here because I want to be, not because I'm being paid to be. What kind of trouble?”

“Yeah, sure you are,” Freddie said, wandering over to him. “Look at you, decked out in designer clothes and drinking champagne. You've become a high-dollar whore and don't tell me you're not a sex slave because that is the only thing that can possibly explain why you've not been home for six months.”

Charles felt the anger building inside of him, but generally every time he had ever gotten into a argument with Freddie it had ended with a fistfight, and he didn't want that to happen. “Trouble, Freddie. What kind of trouble?”

“Noah went up to Manchester for a month, left Grassy in charge. Grassy did a shitty job of running things, was handing out drugs with only promises of payments. Noah's back now, and he wants his money, and it'll take me six months to earn enough to pay him.” Freddie wandered into the dining room and pulled out a chair, sitting down. “So basically, I want to know if you'll give me the money I owe him. Lord knows that at the rates you charge, you should have more than enough to give that to me.”

Charles went into the dining room and leaned up against the wall, staring at Freddie. “You're a fucking moron for getting into trouble with Noah. You know if you don't pay him soon, he'll kick the shit out of you and send you to fucking hospital.”

“I know,” Freddie stressed. “That's why I'm fucking here. Now come on, give me the money.”

“How much?”

“Fifteen.”

“Hundred?”

“Thousand.” Freddie had the decency to look sheepish. “Like I said, Grassy was giving the shit away without us having to pay for it. So I tried some new things on top of the shit I already did. You ever done heroin Charles? It's fucking amazing. So I need some extra money to keep up that new habit too.”

“So how much money do you think I'm just going to hand you?” Charles asked, trying to keep control of his anger.

“I was hoping for thirty,” Freddie said, shrugging. “That should be nothing to you right now.”

“Thirty thousand pounds?” Charles let the anger seep into his voice. “You actually think you can walk in here and demand thirty thousand pounds from me?”

“From you, from the john, I don't really care,” Freddie said. “But I need the money and I know you'll give it to me, so yeah, I did some searching around until I found out where Lehnsherr lived so I could find you. So come on man, help me out.”

The sound of the front door opening startled Charles, but then Erik called out his name and Charles sighed, because he had a good idea of how Erik was going to react to the situation.

“Charles, darling! I caught the pizza guy at the door so I have your lunch!”

“Darling?” Freddie said, laughing. “Fuck, you lucked out with this john.”

“Stop fucking calling Erik that,” Charles snapped, hearing Erik's footsteps in the kitchen.

Erik appeared in the doorway a moment later, and he glanced from Freddie to Charles and back to Freddie. “Why the fuck are you here?”

“Oh, he's wonderful,” Freddie said, shaking his head. “Is he always so nice to you?”

“Freddie,” Charles said, looking over at Erik and ignoring the other man, “is here to try to get me to give him thirty thousand pounds that he plans on never repaying me.”

“No fucking chance of that happening,” Erik said, pulling Charles to him.

“I know,” Charles said, putting his head on Erik's shoulder, glad for his support. “Freddie, I can't.”

“What the fuck do you mean you fucking can't?” Freddie asked, standing up. “Fucking hell, Charles, after all the shit we've been through together, you're just going to turn into a live-in whore and forget where the fuck you come from?”

Erik growled but Charles just shook his head. “I am not a live-in whore, Freddie. I am here because I am in a relationship with Erik and I want to be.”

“Yeah, sure,” Freddie said, shaking his head. “Just like you were in love with that one john that picked you up once a week for about three months. Ended up in the hospital after that, I believe.”

“This is different,” Charles said seriously. “Very, very different.”

Freddie just shook his head and sighed, looking Erik up and down. “Well, will you at least let me take your john for a ride to earn some money? I mean, you wouldn't mind fucking me while Charles watched, would you? I bet that would turn you the fuck on.”

Erik let go of Charles and stalked towards Freddie, grabbing him by the elbow and pulling him out of the room. “You are not welcome in my house,” he said, his voice deadly serious.

It wasn't long until they were in the entry, and Erik opened the front door and proceeded to shove Freddie out of it. “You ever show up on my fucking doorstep again and I'm calling the cops and having you arrested for trespassing and prostitution. Is that understood?”

“What the fuck?” Freddie exclaimed, looking back at Charles, who was following along behind them. “You're just going to let him do this to me?”

“Yes.”

“You fucking sellout,” Freddie said, trying to get past Erik. “Forgetting where you fucking belong. You fucking disgust me.”

Charles just shook his head. “You're the one who disgusts me.”

Erik shoved Freddie back outside and slammed the front door, quickly locking it. He pulled Charles into his arms and just held him for a few minutes. “How the fuck did he get in here?”

“Just walked in before I could tell him no,” Charles murmured into Erik's neck. “Drank straight from the bottle of champagne so we've got to toss it.”

“I can't believe he tracked you down and thought you'd give him a penny,” Erik said, anger in his voice. “The fucking nerve.”

“I always used to make more money than Freddie,” Charles said softly. “Sometimes I'd give him some to help him out. That's all this was. He thinks I'm here racking up the pounds as your live-in whore. Wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him that's not the case.”

Erik drew Charles into a deep kiss. “Speaking of that, I added more money to your bank account today. It seemed low.”

“Low?” Charles laughed. “Last account statement said there was a hundred and fifty thousand pounds in it.”

“Like I said, it seemed low,” Erik said, leading Charles into the kitchen. “So, pizza, hm? What kind did you get?”

“Pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms.”

“Sounds delicious,” Erik said, opening up the box. “Am I allowed to have some?”

Charles just laughed and moved away from Erik to get plates. “Of course, you idiot. And throw out that bottle of champagne before we forget.”


	23. Chapter 23

“We need to get out of the city,” Erik had said one day. “So I bought a house in the country.”

“You bought a house in the country?” Charles had asked.

“Yes,” Erik had said. “And we're going this weekend, so figure out what you want to pack.”

That was why they were driving through rural Gloucestershire on a Friday afternoon. Charles was fully anticipating some grand mansion, because to Erik, a simple house in the country would not suffice. So when Erik pulled onto a paved driveway and the house came into view, Charles just shook his head, not surprised at all.

The place was huge. Gorgeous, but huge. Why Erik thought that a house that big was going to be necessary for just the two of them, Charles didn't know.

“It's Elizabethan,” Erik said as he brought the car to a stop. “It's called Raymark Hall, and it's all ours.”

“Ours?” Charles asked, looking over at him.

“As soon as you sign your name on the paperwork,” Erik said, smiling at him. “Come on.”

Erik got out of the car so Charles did too, and then they were getting their bags and walking up to the house. Erik pulled out the key and let them inside, and if Charles had thought the place in Kensington was extravagant, he wasn't entirely certain how to describe this.

He'd been expecting to walk back in time five hundred years. And the high ceilings, the paintings and murals and tapestries on the walls, the elegant furniture – they were all very clearly antiques. But it didn't feel like he'd walked back in time. There were lights to turn on and heat circulating through the rooms and when Erik finally pulled him into the room that would be their bedroom, he was very relieved to see that even though it was a very old canopy bed, the exposed mattress was very much brand new and had brand new, still in the package linens on top of it.

“What do you think?” Erik asked, wrapping his arms around Charles's waist and dropping a kiss on his shoulder. 

“I think it's incredible,” Charles said, spinning around in the embrace to kiss Erik deeply. “I think it's ridiculously large for the two of us, but I think it's lovely.”

“Well, maybe someday it won't just be the two of us,” Erik murmured before grabbing Charles and kissing him hard. “Shall we christen the room? We'll have to make the bed first.”

Erik broke away from him and walked over to the bed, reaching for the package and beginning to open it. Charles just stood there, Erik's words echoing through his head until he could form words of his own. “You want us to have children?”

Erik ducked his head down and pulled the linens out of the package. “I just always thought I would have children with my partner,” he said quietly. “If you don't want any, then we won't have any.”

Charles walked over to Erik and pulled the linens from his hands, drawing him into a kiss. “I'm not saying no. I'm saying I've never thought about it.”

“Well, maybe you could think about it then,” Erik said, wrapping his arms around Charles's waist. “No rush, no pressure, okay?”

Charles nodded before turning around and reaching for the linens. “Get on the other side of the bed and help me put these on. And tell me you have blankets or duvets around here, or we're going to freeze at night.”

“In the closet,” Erik said, walking around the bed and taking one end of the fitted sheet. 

They quickly worked the bed linens on, and then Erik climbed onto the bed, patting the space next to him. “Come here.”

Charles got onto the bed and settled himself next to Erik, staring up at the red velvet canopy. “I can't believe people actually used to sleep in beds like this.”

“We're going to sleep in a bed like this,” Erik murmured, resting his head against Charles's. “After we christen it, of course.”

“You know children would really mess up our sex life,” Charles pointed out. “There could be no mid-afternoon cocaine-fueled fucks on the sitting room sofa.”

“You make a good point,” Erik said, reaching for the bottom of Charles's sweater. “But once they were old enough, off to Marlborough College or Eton they would go, and then we could have all the sex on the sitting room sofa that we would want.”

“You're already sending our fictional children off to boarding school?” 

“I'd want them to have the best education they could get, so yes,” Erik said, slowly inching Charles's sweater up. “Kind of like how I want you to have the best education possible.”

“I said I was going to take it one online class at a time,” Charles said. “And I have an essay to write this weekend.”

“Mmm hmm,” Erik murmured, sliding on top of Charles and capturing his lips deeply. “Do you want to go work on your essay?”

“What do you think?” Charles asked, reaching up to slide Erik's suit coat down his arms. “Off.”

Erik sat up and quickly stripped the coat away, tossing it to the floor before bending down and kissing Charles hard. The kiss broke so that Erik could whip the sweater up over Charles's head, and then their lips reconnected as he tossed it away. It wasn't long until Charles had Erik's shirt unbuttoned, and their kiss broke again so Charles could shove it down Erik's arms and toss it away.

Erik was about to return the favor by working off the t-shirt Charles was still wearing when his phone started ringing in his pocket. Erik groaned and dropped his head down to Charles's shoulder before rolling off of him and reaching for it.

Charles laid there catching his breath for a few moments until he worked out that Erik was talking to Hank, and since Hank had been given explicit instructions not to interrupt them during their weekend at their new country home, he was more than a little angry that Erik was actually listening to what it was Hank had to say. Charles glanced up at the top of the canopy before deciding he could easily stand up on the bed, so he scrambled around until he was. He toed off his shoes then bent down to take off his socks, stuffing them in the shoes and then tossing them to the floor. The noise got Erik's attention and Charles shot him a filthy grin, reaching down and whipping the t-shirt over his head. 

He let his hands trail down the front of his chest before they reached the top of his jeans, and then they expertly opened them up, dropping them down to his ankles and kicking them onto the floor. His underwear quickly followed, and he glanced over at Erik to make sure he still had his attention.

Erik's eyes went wide when Charles wrapped a hand around his already leaking cock, biting back a groan when he began to stroke it. Charles dropped to his knees next to Erik, free hand moving to his shoes. He worked one off and then the other, and his socks followed suit. They were pushed off the edge of the bed, and then Charles was reaching out and undoing the buckle on Erik's belt, pulling it slowly from the hoops around his waist. 

His fingers worked deftly at Erik's pants after that, one hand still gently stroking himself, and Charles smiled when he heard Erik's breathing quicken. Charles tugged at the waistband of Erik's pants, and Erik lifted his hips up, biting down hard on his tongue when Charles took his underwear with his pants and pulled them all the way off. Charles's free hand wrapped around Erik's hard cock, and Erik's eyes almost rolled back into his head.

“Tell me all of this on Monday,” he snapped into the phone before hanging up and throwing it across the room. “Fucking hell, Charles.”

“He wasn't supposed to call you,” Charles said seriously. “I'm assuming you prepared for this?”

Erik reached over to the bedside table and pulled the drawer open, grabbing what was necessary and tossing it at Charles before launching himself in his direction, pinning him back to the bed and kissing him hard. Charles arched up into Erik's touch, the touch that had become so familiar over the previous eight months. Erik started kissing his way down Charles's body, stopping to pay attention to all the little places he'd discovered that made Charles shiver and writhe beneath him. 

His hand reached out and closed around a foil packet, and he used his teeth to tear it open, rolling it into Charles's cock and immediately wrapping his lips around the head. Charles let out a loud cry of his name, and Erik grinned, letting his tongue swirl around it before taking him deep. While he was doing that, his hand went out again and found the lube, then he was nudging Charles's legs apart and messing around with the tube until the sticky liquid was on his fingers.

He plunged two of them into Charles, marveling in how eager Charles always was for him, even after all this time. He'd never imagined that if he could convince Charles to stay that they would have as much sex as they did; in fact, he'd thought they'd barely have sex at all because Charles must have been tired of it from having so much of it. The fact that Charles was a more than willing and very eager participant in bed or wherever else they might be turned on Erik immensely.

Charles let out a long, filthy moan when Erik's fingers found his prostate, and they teased him there until Charles was screaming out his pleasure, Erik's head still bobbing up and down and sucking hard. He let Charles's cock slip from his lips and reached for another foil packet, tearing it open and rolling the latex onto his own cock. He pulled his fingers out and then pulled Charles even closer, sliding into him.

“Ah,” Charles moaned out, wrapping his legs around Erik's waist and pulling him closer. “Fuck me.”

Erik nodded and started to thrust, short and steady thrusts that had Charles writhing against him. “I...fuck...so good, darling. So so good.”

“More,” Charles called out, sighing when Erik's hand wrapped around his cock. “Oh God, more. Feels so fucking good, baby. Need this so much.”

Erik increased the speed of his thrusts, driving in harder and further than before. He bent down and kissed Charles hard, feeling Charles's hands up come to tangle in his hair as he pounded into him. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer but was determined to make Charles come first, shifting slightly to change the angle before diving back down onto him. Charles moaned out Erik's name as his whole body clenched, his orgasm hitting him with force. Erik felt the shiver go through Charles and glanced down, seeing an utterly debauched Charles grinning back at him. A few more thrusts and then he was coming, collapsing onto Charles.

Charles stared up at the top of the bed as he tried to catch his breath, reveling in the feel of the familiar weight against him. Erik lifted his head a few moments later, turning towards Charles and bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. Charles's fingers drifted along the back of Erik's shoulders, sighing contentedly as Erik shuddered against him. “I love you, Erik.”

Erik settled his head on Charles's shoulder and smiled. “I love you too.”

“I don't deserve you.”

“I'm the one who doesn't deserve you,” Erik said, letting his eyes slip closed. “But you've got me. And I'm not going anywhere.”


	24. Chapter 24

Charles sighed when there was another knock at the door, quickening his pace slightly. “Give me a fucking second to get to the door, Christ.” He shook his head as he undid the lock, pulling the door open and preparing to give whoever was on the other side a lecture on patience. But he froze the moment he spotted the man standing outside, his mind going blank as he took in the familiar features, the soft, teasing smile. “Erik?”

“Hello, darling,” Erik said, stepping inside and brushing his lips across Charles's, grinning as he pulled back. “You seem a little shocked.”

Charles shook his head lightly and reached out, wrapping his arms around Erik's neck. “You're supposed to be in South Africa.”

“I know,” Erik said softly, carefully closing the door behind him and backing Charles up against it. “And it was nice, and the company is valuable. But I couldn't stay there a second longer.”

Charles tangled his hands in Erik's hair, playing with the strands along the back of his neck. “What does that mean?”

“It means I called Hank yesterday and told him I was coming back here,” Erik murmured, closing the distance between them. “The mine might be good for my portfolio and I'm probably going to have to pay a hell of a lot more for it now that I've walked out on meetings, but I just...see, there's something in London that I just couldn't go another second without.”

Charles smiled as their foreheads touched, sliding his hands down Erik's back. “Oh yeah? And what is that?”

“You really have to ask that?” Erik asked, pressing his lips against Charles's in a soft kiss. Charles sighed happily and pulled Erik closer, deepening the kiss as his hands started to undo the buttons on Erik's shirt. Erik fumbled around with the lock until he heard it slide into place, and then he pulled Charles away from the door, heading up the stairs and into the bedroom with the precision of someone who had done it hundreds of times, their lips still locked in a heated kiss.

Charles broke away as he felt his knees hit the bed, reaching out to grab condoms and lube from the bedside table before pulling Erik down to the mattress. “I've missed you so much. You have no idea.”

“It's only been three weeks,” Erik laughed, letting Charles pull his shirt off before bending down and sucking at Charles's throat.

“Felt like three hundred years,” Charles breathed out, laughing when Erik's lips brushed over a particularly ticklish spot. “I never want to be away from you for that long again.”

“You won't be,” Erik whispered, hands trailing down Charles's chest before slowly inching his shirt upwards. “I promise.”

Charles grinned at him and rolled them over, straddling Erik's hips and sitting up before pulling his shirt off and tossing it to the side. He dove back down and met Erik in a heated kiss, hands sliding over increasingly sweatslick skin as they rolled around together. They took turns dominating each other, Erik knowing just where to brush his hand to make Charles falter, Charles knowing just what to do with his tongue to make Erik shudder.

Charles finally laid back in surrender, breaking the kiss to stare up at Erik, eyes wide and panting heavily. “If you don't fuck me soon, maybe I'll send you back to South Africa.”

“Is that a threat?” Erik teased, bringing his hands to Charles's pants and quickly opening them.

Charles lifted his hips and helped Erik slide the rest of his clothes off, his hands reaching towards Erik's pants as Erik tossed the garments aside. “It is if it gets you inside me faster.”

As soon as his pants were off, Erik laughed and moved down the bed, running his tongue along Charles's stomach and grabbing a condom. He quickly worked it onto Charles, swirling his tongue around the head of his cock. Charles groaned loudly and laid his head back on the pillow, tangling his fingers in Erik's hair as he slid his cock into the warm, wet heat of his mouth. Erik worked him hard and fast, lips and tongue and teeth dancing along the sensitive skin until Charles was crying out, thrusting his hips erratically.

Erik pulled back and glanced up at him, laughing when he saw the pure desire written across Charles's face. “You trying to make sure the whole block knows we are fucking right now?”

“Please, they can't hear us. And even if they could, it's not like they wouldn't be used to the sounds of us fucking,” Charles said, gasping as one of Erik's fingers brushed against his hole. “Fuck, baby, please.”

Erik reached towards the lube and opened it, spreading Charles's legs apart. Charles brought one of his hands to his cock as Erik slid two fingers in, pushing back against them. “You are nice and relaxed for me today, aren't you?”

“It's because I've been craving this for three weeks,” Charles breathed out, increasing the speed of his hand on his cock. “You're all I've been able to think about, baby. You and this and how fucking much I need it.”

Erik hooked one of Charles's legs over his shoulder, turning his head to brush a kiss along his calf as he found Charles's prostate. Charles groaned loudly and arched into the touch. 

“That might be my favorite spot of your body.”

“It's definitely my favorite spot of my body,” Charles said, pushing himself up and reaching for one of the condoms. “Come here, let me get you ready.”

Erik pulled his fingers out and crushed their lips together as Charles tore open the foil packet, dropping his forehead onto Charles's shoulder and shuddering as he rolled the latex onto him. “There is something so fucking sexy about you doing that,” he murmured, brushing a tender kiss along Charles's neck before pushing him back down to the bed. “Ready?”

“Dying,” Charles said, wrapping his legs around Erik's waist and pulling him closer. “Fuck me.”

Erik smiled down at him as he positioned himself, leaning down to give him a soft kiss as he started to press in. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Charles groaned as he felt the hard cock slide into him, arching his back and pushing down on it, trying to take as much of it as he could. “Oh fuck I needed this.”

“Me too,” Erik mumbled, bending down to nip at Charles's collarbone. “God, you feel so good.”

“Oh fuck,” Charles moaned, hitting Erik on the small of his back with his foot. “Move, dammit.”

Erik laughed against his skin but did as Charles asked, pulling back slowly only to slam back in, drawing deliciously filthy moans from Charles's lips. “This isn't going to last very long.”

“I don't fucking care right now,” Charles said, bringing his hand back to his dick and jerking in time with Erik's thrusts. “We've got plenty of time for round two. And three. And...” 

Charles trailed off into a bunch of incoherent sounds, his eyes slipping closed as Erik fucked him harder. Erik grinned and attacked Charles's chest with his lips, kissing every inch of skin he could find, sucking his nipples into hard nubs.

“Erik, oh baby, fuck,” Charles managed to call out as he tried to spread his legs even further. “Fuck me good, baby, yeah.”

“So fucking good, so good.” Erik groaned and joined Charles's hand with one of his own, helping him jerk himself off. “Come for me, darling.”

Charles gasped and pulled Erik into a kiss, moaning into it as his orgasm hit him. Erik moaned as he felt Charles tighten around him, thrusting a few more times before crying out as he came. He collapsed onto Charles and let his eyes close, enjoying the feeling of their chests heaving in sync as their breathing slowly returned to normal.

Charles laughed slowly and Erik turned his head towards him, giving him a gentle smile before bringing their lips together in another kiss. “God, you're so fucking amazing.”

“Nah, you are,” Charles whispered back, stretching underneath him and yelping when the movement made Erik slip out of him. “I should have gone with you to South Africa. Fuck my final exams.”

Erik laughed, rolling onto his back. “You wouldn't have gotten much studying done. I would have kept you prisoner in that hotel room bed.”

“I probably could have found time to study while you were at these meetings,” Charles said, linking their fingers together and bringing Erik's hand up to rest on his chest. “But I could have gotten this, and this makes me concentrate better because I'm not thinking about how much I miss it. You know what I mean.”

“I do.” Erik took a moment to decide whether or not to ask what he so desperately wanted to. “Does that mean you'll sign the papers now?”

Charles fell silent and let go of Erik's hand, running his hands over his face. “I signed the ones for the car and I signed the ones for the fucking country estate. Is it really that important that I sign those papers?”

“Yes, you're going to have to at some point,” Erik said softly, shifting onto his side and looking over at Charles. “I was just wondering if that time had come.”

Charles smiled at him and pulled Erik close, sighing happily when Erik rested his head on his chest. “Someday, baby. I promise. I love you.”

“I love you too, darling,” Erik murmured. “Can we save round two until after I've slept for awhile? I'm exhausted.”

“Of course,” Charles said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. “I'm pretty tired now too.”

“One round tiring you out now?”

“Well it has been three weeks,” Charles said. “It's been a long time since I've gone without sex for three weeks.”

“I'm not even going to ask how long,” Erik said, closing his eyes. “I'm just going to promise you that it'll never happen again.”

Charles smiled. “Good, baby. That's a very, very good thing.”


	25. Chapter 25

Erik hung up the phone as Charles walked into his office, running his hands over his face. “Hello, darling.”

“Was that Hank?” Charles asked, sitting down and bringing his coffee cup to his lips.

“Yes,” Erik said, sighing. “I have just ridiculously overpaid MacTaggert to get ten percent of my Australian branch back. And I mean _ridiculously_ overpaid.”

“You said you would pay whatever it took,” Charles murmured. “So I take it firing her is the next step?”

“Already done,” Erik said. “I'm sending someone from the international office down there to manage it while I figure out what the hell to do about it now. And I'm definitely not giving stock in the company to anyone ever again. Except for you.”

Charles just sighed. “And how much stock in the company do I have?”

“You will have fifty percent of it as soon as you sign those papers,” Erik said. “I'm about to give up on you signing the papers though. It's been ten months, and you still haven't signed them.”

“I will,” Charles said. “When the time is right.”

“And when will that be, Charles?” Erik snapped. “I want us to be equals. That would make us equals.”

“We are never going to be equals,” Charles said quietly. “You will always be the billionaire that saved me, and I will always be the man who streetwalked for money.”

Erik sighed. “You haven't brought that up in awhile.”

“It's the truth,” Charles said, sipping at his coffee. “No matter what you want, we're never going to be equals, Erik.”

“Well, I disagree,” Erik said, tapping his fingers on the desk. “I've got to figure out what to do about Frost now. We've managed to successfully keep Shaw and Hellfire from getting to forty-one percent, but she's still in the relationship with Shaw and could sell her ten percent to him at any moment.”

“Don't you think it says something that she hasn't already sold it to him?” Charles asked. “I mean, if her goal was to get Shaw and Hellfire in charge of the American branch, I'd think the first thing she would have done is sold Shaw her part.”

“Perhaps,” Erik said, “but she is not interested in selling me back her ten percent, regardless of what I'm willing to pay for it. So I'm not sure what to make of that either.”

“I think that you're too tense right now,” Charles pointed out. “Your neck muscles look like they're strained.”

“And I suppose you think sex will help.”

“Sex helps everything,” Charles said, glancing over at the clock. “But I've got a scheduled exam in twenty minutes, so I was going to suggest going to the gym and working out for awhile. We can have sex when you get back.”

Erik laughed. “We're so romantic, aren't we? I'm going to have to schedule another date night.”

“Have you not taken me to every fancy restaurant in London yet?” Charles asked. “I mean, I've learned about Michelin stars because of you and I'm starting to not want to eat at places that don't have at least one.”

“Then you are learning to eat at proper restaurants,” Erik said, smiling. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Does it bother you that you don't have any friends?”

Charles just shook his head. “Never have had many friends, not even back in Glasgow. I'm perfectly happy in your company, and I enjoy it when Hank and Raven join us. By the way, they are totally dating.”

“Hank and Raven?” Erik said, laughing. “I should have seen that coming, now that I think about it. Has either one of them told you how long?”

“Raven confessed to it being around six months when we went shopping together last Saturday,” Charles said, sipping at his coffee again. “I was thinking we should go on a double date with them.”

“We've apparently already been doing that.”

“Yes, but I mean an official double date. Where we make it clear that it's a double date. Hank will be embarrassed as fuck and that would be fun to watch.”

Erik grinned. “You are right about that,” he said. “Alright, a double date it is. I'll coordinate it with Hank when I stop by the office.”

“You're going into the office?”

“Might as well stop by now that I'm going to the gym since it's right across the street,” Erik said. “Besides, I need to tell Hank I'm giving him a raise, and I've been meaning to get over there and do it for the past two weeks.”

Charles smiled. “He deserves a raise for all he does for you.”

“I know,” Erik said. “That's why I'm doubling his salary.”

“You should triple it,” Charles said seriously. “He easily does the work of three people.”

Erik thought about it for a moment. “You're right, doubling it isn't enough. Tripling it probably isn't enough either. God, I pay him so poorly for everything he does for me.”

“So give him a nice big raise and make his day,” Charles said. “And tease him about having enough for an engagement ring for Raven now.”

Erik laughed hard. “Oh, I am so doing that now.”

Charles just grinned. “I don't want to take this stupid exam.”

“But you're going to. You'll do brilliantly.”

“Thanks to you,” Charles murmured. “You really helped me study last night.”

“I want you to do well,” Erik said. “I'm going to be so proud of you when you reach the point of graduation.”

“That'll be awhile,” Charles said. “But I was thinking of maybe taking classes on campus next semester instead of just online.”

Erik smiled. “I think that's a good idea. You'll be around people. Maybe make some friends.”

“What is it with you suddenly being afraid that I don't have enough friends?”

“Freddie went by the office last week,” Erik murmured. “He wouldn't leave until someone told him how to get in touch with you. Hank eventually had to call the police, and as soon as he found out they were on their way, he ran out. But it just got me thinking that I basically have you shut away from the world and I was curious if you were getting enough human interaction.”

“The only human I want to interact with is you,” Charles said, staring straight at Erik. “But it's not just you that I interact with. It's you and Hank and Raven and Dr. Azazel and the receptionist in his office and the people in restaurants and I could go on. I'm getting plenty of human interaction, trust me. And it's much better human interaction than I used to get.”

“Fine. Do you think Freddie will show up here at the flat again?” Erik asked.

“I think it's likely,” Charles said. “But I know how to handle him, so it's fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Erik, I've known him for a lot longer than I've known you. Trust me when I say I can handle Freddie.”

Erik just nodded and glanced over at the clock. “You better go get ready for your exam.”

Charles nodded and stood up, walking around the desk and bending down to kiss Erik softly. “Go to the gym.”

“I will,” Erik said, standing up and pulling Charles into a deeper kiss. “Good luck with your exam.”

Charles smiled at him. “Thank you. I should be done by the time that you get home.”

“And then we can have sex.”

“And then we will have sex,” Charles confirmed. “Maybe some coke first? You really need to relax.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Erik said, stealing another quick kiss. “Now go before you're late for your exam.”

“Fine, fine,” Charles said, walking towards the door. “If I don't hear you leave in the next ten minutes, I'm going to start yelling at you.”

“I'll be gone in a few minutes.”

“You better be,” Charles said. “Love you, baby!”

Erik smiled. “Love you too, darling!”


	26. Chapter 26

“I think Hank wants to kill me now,” Erik said as they walked into the bedroom. “But it was too much fun to resist.”

“Asking him if he was ready to propose to Raven in front of her was a bit much,” Charles said, walking over to him. “I thought we had talked about that.”

“I know we did, but like I said, too much fun to resist,” Erik said as Charles put his hands on his waist.

“Sometimes I wonder why I love you,” Charles said, leaning close to him. “But I can't change my mind now.”

Erik went to speak but Charles caught his lips in a kiss before he could utter a word, his arms sliding fully around Erik's waist and pulling him as close as possible. It took Erik a moment to gather himself but then his arms were around Charles's waist, his hands sliding underneath the suit coat that Charles was wearing.

“Clothes off,” Erik murmured as he broke away, quickly whipping off his suit coat and starting to unbutton his shirt. “I've wanted to fuck you all night.”

“Mmm, feeling is mutual,” Charles said, dropping his coat and shirt to the floor before pulling Erik back to him. 

Everything became familiar, and Charles loved it that way. The feel of Erik's hands roaming across his skin as it was slowly exposed; the slight hitch in Charles's breath as Erik began to suck at the base of his throat. Their clothes dropping to the floor; the fall back onto the bed. Tangling their legs together as they moved against one another; that first gasp as their cocks brushed together. Charles laughing into his shoulder as Erik ran his fingertips down his sides; Erik's eyes drifting closed as one of Charles's hands drifted between their bodies and grasped his erection. The foreplay that wasn't just something Charles felt like he had to do because that's what you did when you had sex, but something he wanted to do because he enjoyed touching Erik's body.

“Lube and condoms,” Charles breathed out once Erik finally let their lips part.

“Shit, downstairs. Had to replenish the stock,” Erik murmured, trailing his lips down Charles's chest.

Charles laughed as Erik's tongue swirled around on his stomach. “Go get it.”

“In a minute,” Erik mumbled, prompting Charles to laugh.

“Now.”

Erik paused and looked up at Charles, smiling when he saw the grin on his lover's face. “Now?”

“Do you want to have sex or not?”

“We are having sex.”

“Are you going to make me say it?”

Erik laughed. “Maybe.”

Charles just shook his head. “Fucking tease. We've managed to keep our hands to ourselves all night and you want to be a fucking tease right now?”

Erik laughed again and forced himself to roll off of Charles. “Give me a second to remember where I put it so Hank wouldn't see, and then I'll get up and get it.”

“Why would Hank have seen it?”

“Because he happened to be with me when I purchased it,” Erik mumbled, sitting up and climbing off the bed. “And I'm pretty sure it made him uncomfortable.”

Charles suddenly got serious. “I thought Hank was okay with your sexuality.”

“He is,” Erik said, heading towards the bedroom door. “I just think he doesn't particularly enjoy thinking about the fact that I – we – have a lot of sex.”

“Well, that's another thing to tease him about then!” Charles called out, listening to Erik as he jogged down the stairs.

Erik was running back up them a few moments later, shaking his head. “Um, no.”

“Why not?”

Erik stopped and looked over at Charles, a playful look on his face. “Because I'd like to keep my assistant, if you don't mind. Why are we talking about Hank right now? I've got you naked in our bed.”

“You're the one who brought him up,” Charles said, propping himself up on his elbows and watching as Erik tore through the packaging. “Could you hurry the fuck up?”

Erik threw the packaging to the ground and tossed the lube at Charles. “I'm trying, you sex-deprived maniac.”

“Oh, like you don't want this as badly as I do, baby.”

Erik tossed a row of foil packets at Charles and walked back over to the bed. “You sound so sure of that.”

Charles just grinned. “You wouldn't be here if you didn't.”

Erik climbed back on the bed and stretched out next to Charles. “You're assuming an awful lot there, darling. I very easily could just want to go to bed.”

“Yeah, right. When do we ever just go to bed, Erik?”

Erik rolled onto his side and stared at Charles for a moment. “I used to, before you. And I felt incredibly lonely every time I did.”

Charles leaned over and pressed his lips to Erik's, kissing him softly. “You never have to be lonely again, baby.”

“I know, darling.”

Charles smiled and laid back down. “Proceed with the sex, sir.”

Erik rolled his eyes and grabbed the lube and condoms, crawling back on top of Charles. “You're always horny when you drink champagne.”

“You love it,” Charles said, hooking his legs around Erik's waist. 

Erik shifted his knees and straightened up, looking down at Charles as he fumbled with the cap on the tube. “I can't imagine my life without you in it, darling. I hope you know that.”

Charles smiled up at him. “I do. And I can't imagine my life without you either. Not anymore.”

Erik froze and stared at him. “There was a time when you did?”

“I was a whore, Erik,” Charles said softly. “It took a long time for me to realize I am not that person anymore. So yes, there were times when I felt like I would have a life after you. You know all of this.”

“I don't even want to think about that,” Erik said, running a hand up Charles's chest. “The thought you with someone else kills me.”

Charles stayed silent for a moment. “There is no one else. There never will be anyone else.”

Erik took in Charles's words and grinned. “That's my darling,” he murmured, kissing him hard as he focused on coating his fingers with the sticky liquid. “I'll be gentle.”

Charles looked up at him. “I know.”

Erik took his time preparing him, ignoring the changes in Charles's breathing and the moans that had begun to spill from his lips in order to make sure that he wouldn't hurt him.

“Ready,” Charles breathed out, looking up at Erik through hooded eyes.

“You sure?”

“Would I say it if I wasn't?” Charles laughed. “It's been all fucking day, baby. Bloody fucking hell, Erik, just fuck me already.”

Erik laughed softly as he grabbed a condom, and once it was in place, he positioned himself, leaning over Charles as he began to push into him. Charles's breath caught in his throat as the slow, familiar burn of penetration hit him, and Erik stopped for a moment, looking down to make sure he was okay. “Charles...”

Charles grabbed Erik by the neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Shut up and fuck me.” Erik hesitated for a moment and Charles growled with impatience, using his legs to pull Erik closer, moaning as the movement made Erik slip further inside him. “Baby, I'm fine. Really. You know I'm not made of porcelain.”

Erik smiled at the nickname and bent down to capture Charles's lips with his, slowly inching his hips forward until he was buried inside him. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Charles's, trying not to move until he felt himself regain more control, knowing that his grasp on it was tentative at best. Charles laughed below him, his hands coming up to curl around Erik's neck. “So good, Erik. So, so good. Don't stop.”

“Never,” Erik whispered, sucking in a deep breath before pulling his hips back. “If I could spend the rest of my life buried inside you, I would.”

“Well, that seems a bit impracti—“ Charles stopped mid-sentence as Erik thrust back into him, letting out a low moan as he began to move in time with Erik's thrusts. “Oh, fuck.”

The room filled with moans and groans and gasps as they rocked together, the speed of Erik's thrusts increasing until he was pounding into Charles's pliant body. Erik lost himself in the feeling of being deep inside Charles, snapping his hips back and forth as fast as he could. He stared down at Charles, watching as his face contorted in pleasure, and Erik knew he wasn't going to last much longer. A few more strokes and then he came, shaking from the force of his orgasm as his strokes slowed. He collapsed onto Charles and smiled when he felt Charles's hands slide down his back, massaging his muscles gently, turning his head to the side to press kisses to Charles's throat.

Charles gave him a few minutes to catch his breath and then began to squirm around underneath him, lifting his hips up slightly to make sure that Erik knew that he hadn't come yet. “Erik.”

Erik smiled into the crook of Charles's neck and pushed himself up, carefully sliding out of Charles before beginning to trail kisses down his chest. “You want something?” he asked teasingly, laughing when he heard Charles growl impatiently. “I'm an old man. You've got to give me time to recover.”

“You're thirty-seven. That is not that old,” Charles choked out as Erik put a condom on him, groaning as Erik's tongue circled the head of his cock. “Ah, just like that.”

Erik settled himself between Charles's legs and brought a hand up to Charles's cock, jerking it slowly as he stared up at his lover. “How close are you?”

“Close,” Charles stuttered, arching his hips into Erik's hand. “Fucking hell, please, baby.”

Erik paused for a deep breath and then took Charles's cock into his mouth, letting his tongue dance around the flesh as he sucked more of his length in. Charles's hands made their way up to Erik's head as he pulled back and ran his tongue around the head of Charles's cock, drawing a deep, guttural moan from him. Charles's hips arched off the bed, driving himself deeper into the warm heat of Erik's mouth, and Erik felt Charles's grip of his head tighten.

“Oh God,” Charles gasped, pushing Erik's head down. “I'm gonna...”

Erik pulled back as Charles began to scream, still teasing Charles's sensitive skin with his tongue. Charles's hands dropped away from Erik's head as his climax finished, gasping desperately for air as he felt Erik pull away. He opened his eyes slowly and found Erik staring at him from down the bed, licking his lips. “Oh God, that's fucking indecent.”

“It would be more indecent if there was something on my lips.” Erik laughed and crawled up Charles's body, hovering right above his face. “We do a lot of indecent things together. And I wouldn't change it for anything. Would you?”

“Fuck no,” Charles said, wrapping his arms around Erik's neck and pulling him into a kiss. Erik prodded at Charles's lips with his tongue until Charles parted them, and Erik darted his tongue into the wet cavern to tangle with Charles's. Charles groaned into the kiss, and Erik pulled back, rolling off him and onto his back next to him.

“That was...”

“Fucking amazing,” Charles said, looking over at Erik and laughing. “Just like it always has been.”

“And will always be,” Erik murmured. “You don't think we're going to turn into one of those old married couples who stops having sex, do you?”

Charles didn't answer, and Erik looked over at him. “You alright, darling?”

“You've mentioned children,” Charles said after a moment. “Now you've just described us as married. I, um, I don't know how to take this.”

Erik shifted onto his side and reached out for Charles, pulling him flush against his body. “Does it surprise you that I would want to marry you?”

“Yes,” Charles said. “And no. I just haven't thought about it.”

“Well, maybe you could think about that too,” Erik whispered into his ear. “Because someday, I'd really love to marry you and have children with you and still have sex with you.”

“Marriage and children and sex. That's your idea of our future, hm?”

Erik tightened his grip on Charles. “Maybe.”

Charles closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Sounds pretty good to me, actually.”

Erik grinned and pressed a kiss behind Charles's ear. “No time restraints, no pressure, okay?”

Charles just nodded. “You want to get us cleaned up?”

“I went downstairs and got the supplies.”

“I just got fucked through the mattress and am not sure I can walk.”

Erik pressed a kiss to Charles's shoulder and let go of him. “Fine, fine. You win.”

“I always win,” Charles said as Erik climbed off the bed.

“Yes,” Erik said as he walked into the en suite. “You do.”


	27. Chapter 27

Erik took a deep breath and knocked on the hotel room door, a brown paper bag clutched in his hand. It took a few moments, but the door eventually opened, revealing Charles to him. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Charles said, taking a deep breath. “How did you know where I was?”

“I had Hank trace the charges on the credit card,” Erik said, drinking in the sight of him. “May I come in?”

Charles nodded and moved away from the door, and Erik walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and locked and chained it before moving further into the room. “I am so sorry, Charles.”

“I'm sure you are,” Charles said, sitting down on the bed and curling his arms around his stomach. “What's in the bag?”

Erik handed it over. “Coke, lube, and condoms. I thought you'd appreciate it better than flowers.”

Charles opened the bag and peered inside before closing it and setting it aside. “Thanks.”

“I'm sorry, Charles,” Erik said seriously. “I'm not making excuses for what happened, but you have to believe that I'm ridiculously sorry that happened. I never should have invited him over.”

“He grabbed me and forced me onto my knees in front of him.” Charles paused. “I can handle people being assholes to me about my past when we go places and you can put them in their place, but this was at home with someone you trust, and I just...I had to get out of there for awhile.”

“I understand,” Erik said, wanting desperately to pull Charles into his arms and never let him go. “I have to wait a few weeks for an audit to be completed so I can find some reason to fire him that he can't sue me over. But Stryker will be fired, and he will never set foot near you again.”

“I broke that vase in your entry.”

“I don't give a fuck about a vase,” Erik said. “I give a fuck about you.”

“I've always known that people weren't going to forget my past, unlike what you thought, but this is the first time that anyone's actually forced me onto my knees, and all I could think about was how I belonged there,” Charles murmured. “Life with you is a fairytale, Erik. I am not Cinderella. I belong on my knees in front of a man who is paying me to blow him.”

“Oh Charles,” Erik said, walking over and sitting down next to him. “Darling, you do not belong there. You're not that person anymore. You haven't been that person for a long time.”

“A year,” Charles mumbled. “It's been a year since you bought me for the week.”

“I know it has,” Erik said, putting his hand on Charles's knee. “I had something special planned, but then what happened with Stryker ruined it. And I cannot apologize to you enough for that. Stryker has worked from me pretty much since the beginning, I thought he was someone I could trust. I realize now that's not the case, and I am so desperately sorry that what happened happened. I feel like this is all my fault, that I let you down, because I promised you that you wouldn't be hurt anymore and then you were.”

Charles leaned his head on Erik's shoulder. “It's not your fault,” he said after a moment. “You were busy in your office. You had no idea what was going on in the kitchen until I yelled for you.”

“He's lucky I didn't punch him.”

“I've told you that you can't go around punching people,” Charles said, covering the hand on his knee with one of his own. “I'm not upset with you. I just needed to get out of there and clear my head for awhile.”

“You should be upset with me.”

“I'm not,” Charles said, squeezing Erik's hand. “I missed you. I thought about calling, but I knew you'd just show up here and I wasn't ready for that.”

“I was terrified that I'd lost you,” Erik said. “You have about a hundred voicemails from me on your phone.”

“I'm sorry I turned it off,” Charles murmured. “I just needed some time away from everything.”

“It's okay,” Erik said, leaning his head against Charles's. “Are you ready to come home yet?”

“I don't think that I can stay away from you anymore,” Charles said. “I mean, it's been a week. I'm going through withdrawal. I didn't realize how addicted I was to you.”

“Me either.” Erik took a deep breath and stood up, reaching out for Charles. “Let's go home.”

Charles allowed Erik to pull him up, and he turned towards him, sliding his arms around Erik's waist. “Maybe we could delay that a bit.”

Erik bit back a groan as one of Charles's hands slid into the back of his trousers. “I suppose that since we're in a hotel room and all, we might as well make use of it.”

“That's the spirit,” Charles said, staring at Erik with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I need you, baby. It's been too long.”

Erik sighed as Charles pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “I don't want you to think I came here just for the sex.”

“I don't think that,” Charles said, kissing Erik softly. “But we've got sex to make up for. We should be having it every five minutes.”

Erik laughed as Charles suddenly swung him around and pressed him back to the bed, looking up at him with a bright smile on his face. “I don't think I can get it up every five minutes.”

“Well, I suppose I could compromise,” Charles giggled. “How about every ten minutes?”

Erik shook his head as Charles laughed above him. “How about we start with once and then go from there? I don't know how many times I can get it up in one night anymore. I'm getting old.”

“You are not old.” Charles switched all of his weight onto one arm and then used the other to trail his fingertips down Erik's chest, smiling as his hand closed around the bulge in his trousers. “Feels like you're able to get it up just fine to me.”

Erik arched his hips into Charles's touch, groaning when Charles's hand squeezed him lightly. “Charles...”

“Yes, baby?”

“Why aren't you angry with me?”

“Because,” Charles said, sitting back up and peeling the t-shirt he was wearing off.

“Because what?” Erik asked, watching as Charles tossed the shirt away and reached for the paper bag.

Charles smiled at him. “Because I got over being angry with you around the time that I walked out.”

“Charles,” Erik whispered, reaching towards him.

Charles slapped Erik's hands away and started to undo Erik's belt. “Just let me take care of you, baby,” he said softly, pulling the belt from the loops on Erik's trousers. “Let me make you feel good.”

Erik's eyes slipped closed as Charles worked open his pants, gasping as a hand darted into his boxer briefs and curled around his cock. The last coherent thought he had was that they really should talk more about what had happened, but then he felt the familiar roll of latex and the warm heat of Charles's mouth around the head of his cock, and every thought he had about why they shouldn't be doing this flew out of his head.

After that, Erik was lost in a haze of pleasure that he couldn't remember ever experiencing previously. He knew his clothes came off at some point, but he couldn't pinpoint as to when that had actually happened. He slid his hands down Charles's hips moments later and discovered that the rest of Charles's clothes were gone too, probably joined with his in piles on the floor. And then suddenly Charles was hovering over him, his eyes slowly drifting closed and his face contorting into a slight grimace, and Erik wanted to ask what was wrong but couldn't find the words to speak. Charles bent forward and kissed him long and hard, and then sat up straight, slowly sinking down onto Erik's cock. Erik watched the expressions on Charles's face change as he sunk down, and the realization that Charles had been preparing himself for the intrusion popped into his mind, prompting a very late groan at the thought.

Charles let out a contented sigh once Erik was completely inside him, glancing down at the spaced out look on Erik's face. “Gets better every time, doesn't it?”

“Oh fucking hell, just move,” Erik choked out, feeling like his eyes were going to roll back into his head as Charles slowly started to move. 

Charles braced his hands against Erik's chest and increased the pace with every bounce, unafraid to voice his pleasure despite being in a very public hotel room. Moans and groans and some of the filthiest words Erik had ever heard spilled from Charles's lips as they moved against one another, the tension ratcheting up in their bodies with every move they made. Charles recognized the pitch of the noise Erik was making change, signifying that he was close, and so he brought one of his hands to his own cock, jerking it hard and fast. Erik let out a strangled sob as his climax hit him, and Charles stopped moving up and down, concentrating solely on bringing himself off.

Erik watched his vision return to normal as his gasps for air slowed down, and his eyes settled on where Charles's hand was working furiously. He smiled slowly and ran his hands up Charles's thighs, gently coaxing him along. “Just let go, darling. That's all you have to do. Let go.”

Charles's breath hitched as he ran his fingers over the head of his cock, letting out a long moan of completion as he coated Erik's stomach with white fluid. He tipped forward and caught himself on one arm, hovering over Erik with eyes closed as he recovered from the intensity of his orgasm. Erik brought a hand up and curled it around Charles's neck, pulling him down until he was resting on top of him. “It's alright, darling. It's okay.”

Charles nuzzled the side of Erik's neck before slowly lifting himself up enough to kiss him long and deep. “That makes up for at least some of the missed sex,” he breathed out, making Erik laugh.

“Glad to be of service.”

They laid there for awhile, happy to be in each other's company again, until Charles forced himself off of Erik and onto shaky legs. “We need to shower.”

“Good idea,” Erik said, climbing off the bed. “Shall we make up for more missed sex in there?”

Charles groaned and grabbed the lube and condoms from the bed. “I swear, one of these days you're really going to kill me with sex, you know that?”

Erik just laughed. “I'm not sure I can do that. I need you too much, darling.”

Charles paused in the bathroom doorway. “I love you, Erik.”

Erik caught up to him and kissed him hard. “I love you too.”

“I'm sorry I ran away from home,” Charles murmured, burying his face in Erik's neck. “And I'm sorry for staying away for so long.”

“It's okay,” Erik said, running a hand up and down Charles's back. “I understand.”

Charles stayed there for a few moments before pulling away. “Alright, time for shower sex.”

Erik just laughed and followed him into the bathroom. “You know, we don't have shower sex enough. We'll have to change that.”

Charles just groaned at the thought.


	28. Chapter 28

“Emma Frost broke up with Sebastian Shaw,” Charles said into the phone, smiling. “It's all over the New York tabloids.”

Charles listened to Erik laugh on the other end of the phone until the doorbell rang. “I've got to go, baby. Someone's at the door. I'll see you when you get home. Love you.”

Charles listened to Erik say goodbye before hanging up the phone and walking to the door. He opened it and immediately jumped back, his eyes trained on the knife that Freddie was holding out at him. “Freddie.”

“Back away from the door and let us into the house,” Freddie said, his voice deadly serious.

Charles's gaze widened from the knife and he realized that there were four other guys with Freddie, and he swallowed hard. “Freddie.”

“Do what the fuck I say or I swear to god I will stab you,” Freddie said, smiling when Charles backed away from the door. “Good boy. Back against the wall.”

Charles backed himself up against the wall and the five of them walked into the house. “Freddie, what are you doing?”

“Taking what I need,” Freddie said. “I didn't want to do this by force, but you've turned into a fucking sellout, so I've got no choice. Alright, boys. Take anything of value that you can find. Break the rest of this shit.”

Charles took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm. “Freddie, this isn't necessary.”

“No, you fucking shut up,” Freddie said, coming closer with the knife and pressing it against Charles's throat. “Say another word and I will slit your throat.”

Charles clamped his mouth shut, listening as the other four men broke things and laughed and stole things. It wasn't long until they were dragging bags full of things out of the door, and then one of the men indicated to Freddie that they were done. Freddie pulled the knife away from Charles's neck and then pulled him away from the wall, shoving him into one of the men's arms.

“Do your worst,” Freddie said, walking out of the door. 

Charles barely had time to process what had happened before he felt a fist connect with the left side of his head, and then a knee to the stomach, and then he was shoved onto the floor. He tried to curl in on himself as boots started connecting with his body – to his head, his stomach, his legs, his back – until he finally passed out.

He woke up to gentle hands on his face, a woman's voice asking someone to get the medical bag out of the car, and it took him several moments to realize it was Raven and that she must be talking to Hank because they were supposed to come over for dinner.

“Charles?” Raven said softly. “Can you hear me?”

Charles tried to move and groaned loudly, feeling pain sear through him. 

“I'm going to take that as a yes,” Raven said, her hands gently caressing his face. “I'm going to examine you, okay? Hank's called Erik; he'll be here as soon as he can.”

Charles managed a weak nod and hissed every time Raven's hands touched a sensitive spot, and there were a lot of them. She'd only gotten halfway down his torso when he felt her stop and talk to Hank.

“Call Dr. Howlett. We're going to need him.”

“Shouldn't we take him to a hospital instead?”

“No,” Charles got out. “No hospital.”

“Listen to him,” Raven said, bringing a hand back to Charles's face. “Charles, do you think you can roll onto your back? Your breathing is too shallow, and being on your back would help open up your airway.”

Charles nodded and Raven slowly helped him roll onto his back, Charles letting out an array of pain-filled noises as he moved. Raven's hands came back up to his face, brushing her thumbs against his forehead. “Hank? Find the sterile bandages in my bag. I need to stop this bleeding.”

“Bleeding?” Charles murmured.

“You've got a nasty gash on your forehead,” Raven said. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I don't know,” Charles said, hissing when Raven pressed a bandage to his head. “There were some guys. Five of them. Freddie. A knife. Then Freddie was gone and the guys...I don't know.”

“Possible concussion,” Raven murmured. “Write this down, Hank.”

“Concussion?” Charles asked.

“It just took you about three minutes to tell me that,” Raven said, and that's when Charles realized he had no concept of how time was moving. “So yes, possible concussion.”

“I'm fine, really,” Charles murmured, letting his eyes drift closed. “I've had worse.”

“You are not fine,” Raven said seriously. 

“I can't afford to go to the hospital,” Charles mumbled. “I don't have any money.”

Raven exchanged glances with Hank. “Change possible to probable. His memory is fucked.”

“What?” Charles said, glancing around. “I don't have any money. Freddie and the vultures took it all.”

“That's bullshit,” came Erik's voice, and he dropped to his knees next to Charles. “What happened?”

“I think you got robbed,” Raven said. “He seems to know the person who did it, but he's got a concussion. He doesn't remember it all.”

“Erik?” Charles asked, looking over at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here, darling,” Erik said, reaching for Charles's hand. “With you.”

“Dr. Howlett is on his way,” Hank called out.

“I live here?” Charles asked, concentrating hard. “Oh, yeah, I do, don't I? I live here with you now. I'm sorry.”

“What the fuck are you sorry for?” Erik exclaimed.

“I couldn't keep them out,” Charles murmured, letting his eyes slip closed. “They probably trashed the place.”

“I could care less about that right now,” Erik said, bringing Charles's hand up to kiss. “All I care about is you. I love you, darling.”

“Charles,” Raven said, hands still gentle on his face. “I need you to stay awake, okay? Keep your eyes open for me.”

Charles nodded and then there was a lot of discussion between Erik and Raven, but Charles didn't really understand what they were saying. After awhile, Raven moved away, and a man Charles had never seen before took her place, and Charles looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Dr. Howlett,” the man said, bringing his hands to Charles's chest. “I'm going to examine you, okay?”

Charles nodded and hissed and groaned as Dr. Howlett pressed and prodded his body, squeezing Erik's hand every time pain shot through him. Dr. Howlett asked him simple questions, and Charles tried his best to answer them, though he could tell he was having problems doing so. Eventually Dr. Howlett was finished, and he turned to talk to someone behind him.

“The thing that concerns me most is the concussion. He's bruised and battered but I'm fairly certain there's nothing broken and he's not bleeding internally. We'd see different bruising by now if that was the case. He needs to be put to bed and kept there for a few days.”

“That can happen,” Erik said seriously. “That will happen.”

“Wake him up every few hours tonight,” Dr. Howlett said, speaking to Erik now. “If his head starts hurting worse, he starts to get incoherent, or you can't wake him up, get him straight to a hospital.”

Erik nodded. “I can do that.”

There was a lot more talking and then everyone but Erik had moved away, and Erik carefully slid his arms underneath Charles and picked him up. “Come on, darling. You're going to bed.”

Charles groaned but curled as close to Erik as he could as they went up the stairs and into the bedroom. Erik sighed and glanced around at what was left of their bedroom as he walked in, but went straight to the bed and laid Charles down. Charles groaned as Erik positioned him and pulled the linens up over him, bending down to kiss him softly. 

“Sleep,” Erik murmured. “I'm going to call the police.”

Charles's eyes slipped closed before he could come up with the thought to tell Erik not to do so.

“Charles,” came Erik's voice later, lightly shaking his arm until Charles opened his eyes. “There's my darling.”

“Erik,” Charles breathed out. “I feel like shit.”

“I'm not surprised by that,” Erik said, sitting down next to the bed. “Darling, I need you to tell this police officer where to find Freddie.”

Freddie. Freddie, Freddie, Freddie. Oh. “No.”

Erik sighed heavily. “Charles, he is responsible for this.”

“I know.”

“So tell the police where to find him.”

“I can't do that,” Charles said softly. “I can't sell him out like that.”

“Charles, he robbed us and beat the shit out of you. Telling the police where to find him is not selling him out.”

“Mr. Xavier,” the police officer said. “Mr. Lehnsherr has already provided us with a location where this Freddie likely works. We will find him whether you cooperate with us or not, but things will go much easier and much faster if you cooperate with us.”

Charles switched his gaze back to Erik. “Erik.”

“Charles, please,” Erik murmured. “He hurt you. Either you let the police go get him or I go find him and kill him myself.”

Charles sighed, let his eyes close, and then rattled off an address from memory. “I'm pretty sure he'll still be at that address, but in case he's not, ask around. Someone around there will sell him out if you tell them you're not there to arrest them for anything.”

The officer finished writing down the address and nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Xavier.”

Erik leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Go back to sleep, darling.”

Charles closed his eyes again and was asleep in moments.

The next time he was awoken, Erik was lying in the bed with him, holding Charles flush against him. Charles sighed and snuggled back into the embrace, smiling when he felt a kiss be placed behind his ear. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Horrible,” Charles murmured. “But my head doesn't feel so hazy anymore.”

“That's good,” Erik murmured, running a hand gently over Charles's hair. “Oh, darling, I'm so sorry this happened. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you.”

“You would have just gotten hurt,” Charles mumbled. “There was five of them.”

“That's what Hank told the police that you said.”

“How bad is it?”

“I think we're probably going to do a complete remodel,” Erik said softly. “They took what the police said were likely crowbars to the walls, big deep gashes into them. All the electronics are gone, which makes me extra glad that I took my laptop with me to the office today. They didn't seem that interested in the art, amazingly, considering the art is the most expensive thing in this house. Smashed the glass in all the frames, but I don't think the paintings are too damaged.”

“I'm not surprised by that. Freddie would never think that art is as expensive as you've told me those paintings are.”

“None of it matters more than you though,” Erik said, pressing a kiss to Charles's shoulder. “When Hank called me, I got so terrified. I think I probably broke ninety traffic laws getting home.”

“I really am sorry, baby. I couldn't put up much of a fight. Freddie had a knife to my throat.”

Erik growled and tightened his grip on Charles, loosening it when Charles hissed in pain. “Sorry! Sorry, darling!”

“Stop being so possessive,” Charles yawned. “I'm still here. I'm worried about what's going to happen when Freddie realizes I've sold him out, but I'm still here.”

“Well, as soon as you're feeling up to it, we're going to the country estate,” Erik said, pressing another kiss behind Charles's ear. “We'll stay there while this place gets fixed up and while we look for a new place to live.”

“A new place to live?”

“I don't like the thought of Freddie or anyone from your past knowing where we live, not after this,” Erik said seriously. “So while I'll fix this place up and rent it out, we're moving someplace more secure.”

“But I like this place.”

“I like this place too,” Erik murmured. “This will always be the place where we fell in love. But if we're ever going to have a family, we'd need someplace bigger.”

Charles sighed happily. “A family.”

“Yeah, a family. Our family.”

“It's been so long since I've had a family,” Charles murmured. “Before you it had been so long since someone took care of me.”

“Well, I'm going to take care of you for the rest of our lives,” Erik said softly. “Do you want to go back to sleep? You probably should.”

“Mmm, only if you sleep with me,” Charles said, letting his eyes close. “You need to sleep too.”

“I will,” Erik murmured. “I promise.”


	29. Chapter 29

“Well?” Erik asked, watching as Charles looked around in wonder. “What do you think?”

Charles laughed and looked down at the paper in his hands. “This says it has five bedrooms, all with en suites, two reception rooms and I don't even know what a reception room is for, an eat in kitchen, a study, two cloakrooms, a massage room, a gym, a housekeeper's room – is that like a room for a housekeeper to live in? – and a separate studio flat with its own shower room. Plus it's got the gorgeous communal gardens outside, a swimming pool, and a twenty-four hour concierge. I think it's big enough to be a palace, not a flat.”

“A reception room is for entertaining and yes, a housekeeper's room is a room for a housekeeper to live in. Do you not like it then?” Erik asked, worry creeping into his voice.

“Oh no,” Charles said, turning to look at him. “I love it. I just never imagined I'd be living in a place like this in my life.”

Erik breathed a sigh of relief. “I'm so glad you love it.”

“Because you already bought it.”

“Yes,” Erik said sheepishly. “You have to act quickly on these sorts of things. It's not often a flat like this in a secured building comes open.”

“Should I dare even ask how much you paid for this place?” Charles asked, walking over to Erik.

Erik swallowed hard. “Do you want to know? Because I'll tell you if you do.”

“Since I'm going to be living here and I'm guessing there is paperwork for me to sign so that I own half of it, I think I should.”

“Yes, there is paperwork for you to sign.” Erik pulled Charles to him and kissed him softly. “Thirty million.”

“Thirty million pounds?!” Charles stared at Erik for a few moments. “For a flat?!”

“For your safety,” Erik stressed. “For the safety of the family that we're going to have. And for that, there is no price too high.”

“Oh Erik,” Charles murmured, putting his head on Erik's shoulders. “We really do come from two entirely different worlds.”

“I know we do,” Erik said, brushing a kiss along Charles's hairline. “But we're here now, and we're going to make a world of our own.”

“In a thirty million pound flat.”

“In a thirty million pound flat,” Erik said. “Well, actually it will be worth more than that once we get furniture and artwork and sculptures and things brought in.”

“Okay, new rule regarding the flat.”

Erik smiled. “No telling you how much anything costs?”

“Exactly,” Charles said, pressing a kiss to Erik's neck. “I did notice that there was one room with something already moved into it though.”

Erik grinned and started walking them towards the master bedroom. “I didn't know if you would realize that that's our bed or not.”

“Of course I know that's our bed,” Charles said, nudging him in the side with his elbow. “I'd know our bed anywhere.”

"Well, okay then. I suppose you know the reason why it's here too then." 

“To christen the new house.” Charles nuzzled into Erik's touch, sighing softly at the shivers that went down his spine. He slid his left arm around Erik's waist, pulling him closer, leaning against the doorway when they reached it.

Erik stared at him for a moment before he curled his hand around the back of Charles's neck, bringing their lips together softly in a brief kiss. "Are you alright for this?"

"I'm fine," Charles said. "I'm perfectly motherfucking fine and I have been for weeks and you've barely been touching me and I can't stand it anymore." 

"Shh," Erik whispered back, pressing their lips together again. Charles moaned and deepened the kiss, letting his eyes slowly close as Erik's lips caressed his. They stood locked together, fully engrossed in one another, until the need for air forced Charles to pull away, gasping to catch his breath. He looked at Erik, face flushed and lips swollen, and felt love well up inside him. 

"Erik," he started, only to be cut off by lips meeting his once more. There was more passion in this kiss, Erik's hands sliding down Charles's back and underneath his shirt. And once Charles felt Erik's hands on his skin, he gave into the touch and blocked all other thoughts from his head.

They pulled each other closer as their tongues danced together, Charles's hands working to push the jacket from Erik's shoulders, sighing happily when he felt it finally drop to the floor. Both their shirts followed soon after, and then they were stumbling into the bedroom. Charles let out a small laugh as Erik pushed him backwards onto the bed, grinning up at him as he joined him. Erik mouthed his way down Charles's neck to his collarbone, pulling back when he heard Charles moan out his name. 

"Darling," Erik whispered softly as he undid Charles's belt buckle and started on the button and zipper. "Tell me if you need me to stop." 

Charles groaned in response as Erik pulled his pants off, palming his hard cock through the thin cotton of his boxers. "More. Erik, please," he breathed out in between gasps, arching his hips into Erik's touch. Erik looked up at him and smiled, before slowly sliding the boxers down Charles's hips. He hissed as the cool air of the room danced around the newly-exposed sensitive skin, but then Erik was reaching for a foil packet and bending over, and there was the familiar roll of latex and then warm heat, and Charles closed his eyes and gave into the pleasure. 

Erik chuckled and took more of Charles's cock into his mouth, groaning when Charles bucked his hips up involuntarily. Erik let him continue to thrust up, slowly taking him in and out, swallowing more and more. Charles couldn't hold back his moans, sensations coursing through his body. Erik let the first few moans go, but after a particularly loud one, he pulled back and looked up at Charles.

“Are you sure you're alright?” Erik asked, running a gentle hand along Charles's thigh. “I know it's been awhile, but I really need to know you're alright.”

“I'm fine,” Charles breathed out. “I'm about to kill you for stopping, but I'm perfectly fine.”

Erik sighed and moved up to kiss Charles again, brushing a damp lock of hair off his face. “I'm sorry I'm so worried, darling. I just don't want anything to hurt you ever again.”

Charles smiled, bringing a hand up to wrap around Erik's neck and pull him into another kiss. “You're not going to hurt me. Trust me.”

Erik rested his forehead against Charles's for a moment, then captured his lips in a sweet kiss. “Alright.”

Charles grinned and Erik settled himself back between Charles's legs, taking a deep breath. “I should take it slow with you, but I just have this urge to take you. It's been so long since we've had this; I'm having a hard time controlling myself.”

“It's your own fault.” Charles stared up at him for a moment before nodding. “Take me then.”

“Charles,” Erik breathed out, and the sound of his name on Erik's lips again sent a shiver down Charles's spine.

“I mean it,” Charles said softly, reaching out to the side and grabbing one of the condoms, holding it out to Erik.

Erik studied him for a minute before taking the foil packet from Charles's fingers, dropping it to the bed in front of him and reaching for the lube. “I promise you, I'll be slow and gentle next time.”

Charles couldn't help the smile from crossing his face. “That better be tonight.”

“I imagine it will be tonight, yes,” Erik said, spreading Charles's legs further apart and bending them back. “Unless you don't want it, of course.”

“Something tells me I'll want it,” Charles said, sucking in a deep breath when Erik's finger started to circle his entrance.

“Relax,” Erik said, pushing his finger in gently. “Just relax.”

Charles let his eyes slip closed as he tried to focus on relaxing, gasping as first one, then two fingers stretched him. There was slight pain, but only because it had been weeks since they'd done this, then Erik bent his fingers and found Charles's prostate and Charles groaned. “Oh fuck yes,” he murmured, opening his eyes to look down at Erik. “You're incredible, baby.”

Erik looked up and saw the haze of pleasure in Charles's eyes, smiling as he pulled his fingers back and reached for the condom. “Just stay relaxed, okay?”

Charles nodded as Erik tore the packet open, watching as he rolled the condom on then reached for the lube. He let out a gasp as he felt the initial penetration, his mind reeling from the sensations until Erik gently grasped his hand and brought him back to reality. Erik let go of his hand as he pushed further into him, leaning over Charles and kissing him hard.

Charles's arms came up around Erik's neck as Erik pushed his legs back, bringing their lips together again as Erik pulled back and began to thrust. The pace started off slow but soon quickened, Charles's head falling back against the pillow as Erik attached his lips to the side of his throat, nipping and sucking at the soft skin there. Charles groaned loudly and called out when Erik changed the angle and hit his prostate, making Charles shudder beneath him.

“That,” Erik whispered into his ear, “is the most amazing spot in your body.”

Charles went to speak but snapped his mouth shut when he felt a hand wrap around his cock, jerking him in time with Erik's thrusts. Erik trailed kisses along Charles's jaw before bringing their lips together softly, recognizing the increasing tension in Charles's body.

“Come for me,” Erik whispered, kissing Charles again.

Charles sighed deeply, his arms tightening around Erik's neck as he felt his release hit him, screaming Erik's name. His arms slowly dropped to the bed as he tried to catch his breath, groaning softly as Erik snapped his hips back and forth a few more times before letting out a loud grunt as his orgasm hit him and collapsing onto Charles.

They laid there for several minutes as their breathing evened out, Charles slowly trailing a couple of fingers up and down the sweatslick skin of Erik's back. When Erik felt like he could move, he pulled back and dropped to the mattress next to Charles, looking over at him.

“You alright?”

Charles chuckled and nodded, glancing over at Erik. “You?”

“I'm fucking fantastic,” Erik said, shifting onto his side to roll the condom off. “God, I needed that.”

“We both needed that.”

Erik got rid of the used condoms and then settled himself along Charles's side, putting his head on Charles's chest and immediately falling asleep.

Hours later, when the first tendrils of moonlight had started to creep into the room from under the curtains, Charles woke up. Erik laid beside him, his left hand slowly tracing random patterns on Charles's chest. He turned to look at Erik, sighing softly when he felt a gentle kiss pressed to his forehead. "Baby, we..."

"Shh," Erik said softly, moving closer to Charles and resting his head on Charles's shoulder. "Not now."

"But someone promised me more," Charles said, his eyes full of the wickedness and arousal that Erik loved so much. 

"I did, didn't I," Erik said, pressing a kiss to the side of Charles's neck. "Right now?" 

“What do you think?” Charles sighed and Erik shifted next to him, bringing their lips together. Charles smiled into the kiss and Erik laughed lightly, throwing one leg over Charles's and maneuvering himself until he was kneeling in between his thighs. They kissed until they were breathing in one another, hips rocking together, shudders going through them whenever their rapidly hardening cocks brushed. Erik's right hand trailed down Charles's side, wrapping gently around his thigh and easing Charles's legs further apart. Charles pulled back from the kiss and spread his legs even wider as Erik reached for another condom and the lube, moaning when he felt a couple of fingers slide inside him. "Just do it. It's not like you haven't already tonight."

Erik laughed and pulled his fingers from Charles, quickly putting on a condom and using his other hand to steady his cock as it slid into the pliable body below him. "I didn't want to hurt you." 

Charles let out a shuddering breath as the head of Erik's cock brushed past his prostate, making his entire body feel boneless. "Believe me, you're not. Most definitely not." And then Erik started to thrust, and the rest of Charles's world faded away. 

It was slow and languid, lazy sex at its finest, Erik bending down to kiss Charles ever so often, Charles's hand eventually drifting down to stroke his cock in time with Erik's thrusts. Eventually Erik's thrusts started to get erratic, and Charles's groans started getting louder, and then there was the loud scream that accompanied Charles's climax and the groan that accompanied Erik's. They collapsed together against the bed, sticky, sated, and exhausted, and Erik drew their lips together for a gentle kiss.

“I love you,” Erik said softly. “It means so much to me that you're going to be safe here.”

“I love you too,” Charles said, kissing Erik again. “And it means a lot to me that you want me to be safe. No one's cared that much about me in a long time.”

“Well, I'm going to care about you that way for the rest of our lives.”

“Mmm,” Charles hummed, running his hands down Erik's back. “Can we go back to sleep now? I'm sleepy.”

Erik kissed him again. “Anything, darling. Anything you want.”


	30. Chapter 30

“Have you lost your fucking mind?”

Charles ignored Erik and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and grabbing the open bottle of champagne. “Do you want a drink?”

“No!” Erik exclaimed. “I want you to tell me why the fuck you're not pursuing charges against Freddie and those other motherfuckers!”

Charles opened up a cabinet, frowning when he realized the glasses weren't in there. He opened another and found it empty, so he set the bottle down and went searching. “Because I'm not.”

Erik walked into the kitchen and went straight to Charles, spinning him around and glaring at him. “They beat the living shit out of you and they deserve to pay for it!”

“They have paid for it,” Charles said, forcing himself free and continuing to open cabinet doors. “They've been in jail for weeks because none of them can make bail, and they're still in jail because you're having them prosecuted for robbing the flat.”

“They're going to get next to nothing for doing that!” Erik yelled. “They need to be locked up for life!”

“And you think they'd be locked up for life if I had them prosecuted?” Charles laughed. “You're delusional. All they've got to do is discredit me, and do you even realize how fucking easy that would be? I used to be a whore! And in their eyes, I still am one!”

“You are not a whore!” Erik exclaimed, sighing when Charles slammed a cabinet shut. “And you can testify against them, Charles. We both can.”

“I'm pretty sure you can't since you weren't there when any of it happened,” Charles said, opening yet another empty cabinet. “Where did we put the glasses?”

“Who gives a fuck about glasses right now? Charles, you need to change your mind on this.”

“I give a fuck about glasses right now because I need a drink, especially if I'm going to have to listen to this all night,” Charles said. “Fuck, I had the worst day ever at school, I have more homework than I think I can handle, and you just want to yell at me because I won't prosecute some old friends?”

“Those motherfuckers are not your friends! Friends would never do that to friends!”

Charles gave up the search for glasses and grabbed the bottle, walking out of the kitchen. “I don't expect you to understand.”

“Try me,” Erik said, following him. “Tell me what's so fucking special about them.”

“They cared about me!” Charles yelled, swirling around to face Erik. “Yeah, it was a shitty situation and everyone was drunk or high or abused from a night's work, but they fucking cared about me! They took care of me! And I took care of them! And whether you like it or not, we don't sell each other out! Those bonds were made, and I'm not fucking breaking them!”

Erik put his hands on Charles's shoulders. “They did not care about you,” he said as calmly as he could. “I care about you. They attacked and robbed you and me. They might not have physically attacked me, but they hurt you, so they hurt me too.”

“Then you have them fucking prosecuted,” Charles said, shoving Erik away from him. “I want nothing to do with it.”

Erik followed Charles out of the room and up the stairs into the small bedroom that had been turned into a place for Charles to study. “Don't you understand, darling? They've already sold you out. They sold you out to the vultures the minute you didn't come home that night. Freddie sold you out for three hundred pounds just so I could know where you were. Someone, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out it was Freddie and those motherfuckers, sold you out to the fucking magazine. And they broke everything that tied you to each other when they came to the flat and beat the shit out of you.”

“Get the fuck out of here and let me study,” Charles said icily. “I don't want to talk about this anymore.”

Erik walked over to the door and shut it, sliding down to the floor in front of it. “Well, I'm not leaving until we resolve this, which means you're not going anywhere either.”

Charles huffed and pulled the cork from the champagne bottle, drinking straight from it. “You'll be sitting there for a long time then.”

Charles sat down at his desk and pulled his laptop out of his bag, setting it up and beginning to type on it. Erik stayed sitting in front of the door, taking his phone from his pocket and pulling up business emails he needed to answer. They stayed that way for the better part of an hour, Charles stealing glances over at Erik every once and awhile, Erik doing the same to Charles. Their eyes met once and they both quickly averted them, Charles getting more serious about the essay he was writing, Erik going back to his emails.

Erik's phone ringing finally broke the silence.

“Take that the fuck out of here, I'm trying to concentrate,” Charles muttered, refusing to look over at him.

Erik answered it right where he was. “Hello? Make it quick. I'm in the middle of something.”

Charles snorted at that, and Erik just shook his head. “Great. Fucking fantastic. Thanks for the good news, Hank.”

Erik hung up the phone and tossed it across the room, watching as it landed perfectly on a small table. “Ha! Perfect shot.”

Charles glanced behind him at the table, then reached over and grabbed the phone, turning it off and setting it on the desk. “You want it back? You have to leave.”

“I don't need it back,” Erik said, shaking his head. “I'm fucking done with business for the day.”

“Then what did Hank want?”

“To tell me I'm being sued for wrongful dismissal by Moira MacTaggert,” Erik said, laughing. “That fucking bitch.”

“How nice of her,” Charles said, sighing. “You broke my concentration.”

“Sorry.”

“No you're not.”

“Actually, I am. I want you done with this fucking homework so that we can have a nice dinner and a nice evening.”

Charles laughed. “You actually think that's going to happen? We've just spent the last hour refusing to so much as look at each other.”

“Yeah, and I said that I'm not leaving this room until we resolve this problem,” Erik said. “So once that is done, we can enjoy a nice dinner and a nice evening.”

“I'm not going to change my mind just to have a nice dinner and a nice evening,” Charles said firmly. “I'm sick of always giving in to you.”

“Always giving in to me? You don't always give in to me!”

“Name one thing in this flat that I picked out,” Charles said seriously. “One thing.”

Erik went quiet and Charles just sighed. “You can't do it, can you? I'll tell you why not. It's because you picked everything out. Even everything in this room. Even this fucking flat itself. I didn't get to even voice an opinion on it before you bought it. And yeah, maybe I don't know about handmade Italian leather sofas or what the hell a Vermeer painting is, but it would have been nice to at least have been asked for an opinion. I gave in on everything, Erik. EVERYTHING.”

“Why?” Erik said after a few minutes. “Why did you just give in?”

“Because.”

“No,” Erik said, looking over at Charles. “I really want to know why.”

Charles sighed again, grabbed the champagne, and shut his laptop, moving away from the desk and coming to sit next to Erik. “Because there is still part of me that is afraid of you taking all of this, including yourself, away from me and putting me back on the streets. So if I'm the dutiful, meek, little partner who goes along with whatever you want, then maybe you won't. It's why I won't sign the papers. And that's why I won't pursue charges against them. I don't want them out for blood if I end up back out there with them.”

Erik stared at him for a moment before reaching towards Charles and pulling him into an embrace. “I would never do that to you,” he whispered. “I never want to let you go, Charles, but even if for some reason we both agreed it was best for us to part, I would never leave you with nothing. I would make sure you were taken care of. But that's never going to happen. I'm never letting you go.”

Charles buried his face in Erik's neck, breathing in his scent. “Do you at least understand why I feel that way?”

“Yes, a bit,” Erik murmured. “Have you talked about this with Dr. Azazel?”

“Yes,” Charles said, kissing the nape of Erik's neck. “He said it's natural for someone like me who was taken out of the world I was in and placed into a world like this. Like I think it's all a dream and I'm going to wake up someday and it'll be four p.m. on some Tuesday and I'll have to get myself ready for another night on the streets. He said it could take a really long time for it to go away. But I have been working on it.”

Erik took the champagne bottle from Charles, drinking from it. “Well, let's say for a moment that we were to split. You have an Aston Martin, half a country estate, a bank account with thousands of pounds in it, and half of a thirty million pound flat. If you'd sign the papers, you'd have half of a multibillion pound company. And there will be more, Charles. Even if I were to kick you out tonight, you wouldn't be back on the streets. Not even close.”

“You're my world, Erik. I just don't want to fuck anything up. I've been through a lot of shit in my life, but losing you? That would truly kill me. I would actively seek out a way to die. I wouldn't be able to make it without you.”

“You're not going to fuck anything up just by voicing your opinion,” Erik promised. “Though if you make such bad decisions as this one with Freddie and those motherfuckers, we will be having words about it.”

Charles sighed and reached for the bottle, taking a drink. “Promise me that the only place I'll ever have to see them again is a court room?”

“I will do everything in my power to make sure that is it,” Erik said seriously. “And I mean everything.”

“Then I'll pursue the charges,” Charles said, taking another drink.

Erik leaned over and pressed a kiss to Charles's head. “Thank you.”

“It's not that I wanted them to get away with it,” Charles murmured. “I was just scared. Am still scared of having to go into that court room and testify in front of people and talk about my past. Because it's going to come up, Erik. I see no way in which it doesn't.”

“I know it will,” Erik said. “But you've just got to remember that it's your past now. It's not your present and it's not your future. It's the past. It's over.”

They both jumped when there was a knock at the door, and then the muffled voice of their new housekeeper drifted through. “Mr. Lehnsherr? Mr. Xavier? Dinner will be ready in half an hour.”

Charles dissolved into giggles and collapsed into Erik's lap as Erik answered her. “Thank you, Antonella.” 

“I keep forgetting we have a live-in housekeeper now,” Charles said in between giggles. “A live-in housekeeper who cooks us dinner.”

“A very discreet live-in housekeeper who signed a confidentiality agreement so binding that she can't so much as tell a soul that she works here,” Erik said, pulling Charles up so he was looking at him. “So are we good now?”

“Yes,” Charles said, leaning in for a kiss. Erik captured his lips and quickly deepened the kiss, his hands reaching for the bottom of Charles's shirt.

“Nope,” Charles said, breaking the kiss and pulling away from Erik. “No makeup sex until after dinner.”

Erik huffed and Charles glanced over at him. “Are you actually pouting right now?”

“No.”

“You are,” Charles said, leaning in for another kiss. “You're actually pouting right now. We don't have enough time, baby.”

“She said half an hour.”

“You actually think the two of us can have sex and be put back together enough to be seen by our brand new live-in housekeeper in half an hour?” Charles laughed. “Oh baby, no. Especially not for makeup sex.”

Erik thought about that for a moment before laughing. “Good point.”

“Come on,” Charles said, getting up off the floor and holding a hand out for Erik. “We should go apologize to Antonella for having to listen to us fight and assure her that it doesn't happen often.”

“Only after you call the prosecutor back and tell him you want to pursue this,” Erik said, letting Charles help him up. 

“Fine,” Charles said, pulling Erik into another kiss. “I'll be down in a few minutes.”

“I'll be waiting.”


	31. Chapter 31

Erik looked up when he heard a knock, smiling when he saw Charles leaning up against the doorframe. “Hello, darling.”

“What's going on? You sounded very angry and whatever that banging noise was made Antonella jump in the kitchen.”

“Come in and shut the door,” Erik said, running his hands over his face. “Nothing is going my way today.”

“I'm sorry, baby,” Charles said, walking around the desk and settling himself in Erik's lap. “Want to talk about it?”

Erik sighed. “My mother called and told me about a cousin's wedding. Apparently I've been invited but the invitation was sent to an address that's at least three addresses before this one.”

“So how has that gone wrong?” Charles asked.

“ _I've_ been invited, Charles. Not _we've_ been invited.”

“Oh,” Charles said, settling his head on Erik's shoulder. “Well, that's alright I suppose. Can't expect everyone in your family to be okay with our relationship.”

“I can expect that and I do expect that they respect my life choices and that one of them is you,” Erik said angrily. “How dare they try to keep you out of a family occasion.”

“I'm not part of their family,” Charles said, running a hand down the front of Erik's shirt. “It's okay.”

“It is not,” Erik said, capturing Charles's hand and bringing it up for him to kiss. “I told my mother that I'm not going unless you are also invited.”

“Erik...”

“This is a cousin that I haven't seen in probably ten years, if not more,” Erik said. “I highly doubt it'll break her heart if I am not at her wedding.”

“But it's a family occasion,” Charles said, squeezing Erik's hand. “You should take advantage of them when the opportunity presents itself.”

“I'm not going without you and that's final,” Erik said, sighing heavily. “Then Hank came by.”

“Is this where we get to the banging part? You need to apologize to Antonella about that.”

“I will,” Erik murmured, brushing a kiss across Charles's forehead. “Apparently we're on the cover of another glossy magazine this week.”

“I see. And what scandalous thing have we done now?”

“We've apparently snubbed Elton John,” Erik laughed. “I've never met Elton John. Have you?”

“Can't say that I have,” Charles laughed. “How have we supposedly snubbed him?”

“Apparently we have refused to go to New York for his annual AIDS Foundation Gala,” Erik said, still chuckling. “Maybe that invitation got lost along with my cousin's.”

“Maybe,” Charles giggled. “Well, that's not worth banging about for. So what else?”

“Emma Frost wants ten times what I paid MacTaggert for her stock,” Erik said quickly. “She also wants to keep her job and have me appoint her the person who negotiates with Shaw and Hellfire over getting the forty percent back.”

Charles's eyes widened. “Well, that's asking for a lot.”

“No shit,” Erik said. “I may have slammed that book on my desk down. That's probably what you heard.”

Charles looked over at the desk and saw a thick, hard bound book that looked bigger than some of his textbooks. “What is that book?”

“It's a present,” Erik said, reaching for it. “For my favorite ancient history student.”

Charles sat up as Erik handed him the book, and he looked it over. “ _Literature of the Anglo-Saxons_ by George Kumler Anderson. How did you know?”

“You mentioned it,” Erik murmured.

Charles looked over at Erik in disbelief. “I mentioned it?”

“You were talking about Old English literature, about something you had discussed in class that day, and you said that your professor had mentioned it and that it sounded interesting. So I've had Hank looking for a decent copy for weeks.”

Charles leaned forward and kissed Erik softly. “Thank you, baby.”

Erik smiled at him. “Anything for you, darling.”

Charles set the book back on the desk and settled himself against Erik again. “So what are you going to do about Frost?”

“I don't know,” Erik said honestly. “I am not paying her that much for her stock. I don't want her to keep her job after this either. However, she might be just the person to have negotiate with Shaw and Hellfire. Apparently Shaw was cheating on her with this young singer that's gaining popularity in the States, and she's out to make his life a living hell.”

“You should have someone you trust do that,” Charles said. “You can't trust her.”

“No, I can't,” Erik said, “but I can have someone I trust there with her. And I can say that she's not getting paid for her stock until she gets me back the forty percent Shaw and Hellfire have. If she can do that, then I'll gladly pay her what she wants for the ten percent, and I'll say that is her severance package. No wrongful dismissal lawsuit from her. I'm still furious about the one from MacTaggert.”

“I thought your lawyers in Australia got that thrown out.”

“They did,” Erik murmured. “Doesn't mean I'm not still furious about it. And I've still got to figure out what to do about the Australian branch now. I've got Bishop down there now, but I'm missing him in the international office.”

“Any other possible candidates?”

“There's Hendry, but I don't know how he'd feel about moving to Australia at his age, even though he'd be fully competent at running an entire branch. If I'm thinking younger, Sean Cassidy has a lot of potential, but I'm not sure he's ready for an entire branch.”

Charles hummed. “And how old is Hendry?”

“Sixty-six.”

“Yeah, I could see him not wanting to move countries at that age,” Charles murmured. “What about the younger one? How old is he?”

“Sean is twenty-four. But he's an old twenty-four. Kid graduated from college when he was thirteen, has worked for me ever since. Started in the American branch, worked his way up to the international office. I don't doubt that he'd be good for the Australian branch. I'm just concerned about putting the entire branch in the hands of a kid.”

“So give Bishop the Australian branch and promote Sean to Bishop's job in the international office, and then promote someone else from another branch up to the international office to take Sean's job,” Charles said, pressing a kiss to Erik's neck. “And then stop worrying about it. You've got far too much tension in your neck right now.”

Erik was silent for a few minutes and then turned and captured Charles's lips in a deep kiss. “You just solved my problem in less than five minutes. How?”

“I don't know,” Charles said, shrugging. “Just what made sense to me.”

“You're amazing,” Erik murmured. “May I show you how amazing I think you are?”

Charles laughed and stood up, collecting his book off the desk and heading towards the door. “You know the bad thing about having a live-in housekeeper?”

“What?”

“No cocaine-fueled sex on the sofa in the middle of the afternoon,” Charles said, stopping in the doorway. “So I suggest you get a sofa for our bedroom. Until then, I'll be waiting in our bed. You get to explain to Antonella that we're not to be disturbed for awhile.”

Erik laughed as Charles walked away. “She's used to us having sex in the middle of the day! I don't need to tell her anything!”

“You need to apologize for startling her!” Charles called back. “And then you can apologize for making me scream!”

“After I call Hank and tell him to make the personnel changes!”

“Better hurry up then! I'll be naked and waiting!”

Erik had never dialed Hank's number so fast in his life.


	32. Chapter 32

“There was another disturbance at the office today,” Hank said, reaching for a piece of paper and handing it to Erik. “This woman showed up. She said her name is Sharon and that she is Charles's mother. She refused to leave until someone told her how to see him. I eventually talked her into leaving with the promise that I would bring up the subject with you and Charles. The picture is to prove who she really is, to see if Charles really knows her.”

Erik stared at the picture in his hands. “I'll bring it up with him. You'll have an answer in your inbox in the morning. I assume that's when you told her to come back.”

“Yes,” Hank said, looking through the rest of the papers in his hands. “I believe that's everything, unless you have something else for me.”

“I want to take Charles to Italy,” Erik said quietly. “And I want it to be a surprise. So do some research on ancient things that still exist in Rome for me. Come up with a list of places for me to take him, details and all.”

“Yes, sir,” Hank said, scribbling himself a note and standing up. “Anything else?”

Erik shook his head and went back to staring at the picture in his hands. “No.”

“Then I will speak to you tomorrow,” Hank said, standing up and walking out of the office. 

Erik sat there for what felt like hours, just staring at the picture. He didn't hear the knock at the door, or the door opening and Charles walking inside. In fact, he didn't even realize Charles was there until he pulled the piece of paper out of Erik's hands.

“Erik? How do you have a picture of my mother?”

“So it really is your mother then.” Erik blinked a couple of times before pulling Charles down onto his lap, circling his waist with his arms. “Hank took it.”

Charles looked over at him with confusion. “What the fuck do you mean Hank took it?”

“She was at the international office today. Refused to leave until someone told her how to see you. He talked her into letting him bring the subject up and her coming back tomorrow to hear the answer. The picture was to show you who it was that was looking for you.”

Charles suddenly found it very difficult to talk. “She's looking for me?”

“Apparently,” Erik said, pulling Charles closer. “I don't know what she wants though. It could be anything.”

Charles settled his head on Erik's shoulder and examined the picture more clearly. “She looks great. I wonder what it is she's up to now.”

“You've never really told me about her, you know,” Erik said softly. “You don't have to if you don't want to, but I—”

“No, it's alright,” Charles said, taking a deep breath. “She was just my mother, you know? She was a drunk but she's the first person I ever told the truth about my sexuality to. I missed her like crazy when I left Glasgow. That's why that dumb shell bracelet was so important.”

“It's not dumb,” Erik murmured. “Not if it meant something to you.”

Charles took another deep breath. “I don't know if I can face her.”

Erik ran a comforting hand along his back. “You're not who you used to be.”

“I know, I know,” Charles said, turning to place a kiss on Erik's neck. “I'm a university student, I'm a homeowner, I have a gorgeous car that I am afraid to even scratch, and I have the best partner in the world. But that doesn't change the fact that I used to be what I used to be, and I'm not sure I can face her.”

“I guess you have to decide if you want to hear what she has to say,” Erik said after a moment. “We could send a message to Hank that you want to know what she wants before any contact is made. He can then relay that to her when she comes back to the office tomorrow.”

Charles nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. Because if she's just after money or something, I don't want to put myself through the emotional agony of that.”

“And I don't want you to feel that way,” Erik said, brushing a kiss along Charles's hairline. “Move and I'll send Hank an email.”

“In a minute,” Charles said, wrapping his arms around Erik's neck and drawing him into a deep kiss. “I missed you.”

Erik smiled at him. “I missed you too.”

“Next time you go somewhere, I'm going with you,” Charles murmured in between kisses. “I can't stand being away from you, even if it's just a couple of days.”

“You had classes.”

“And I could very easily have gotten someone else's notes,” Charles said seriously. “I mean it. I'll follow you all over the world if I have to. I can't be away from you, baby.”

Erik gave him a soft, loving smile. “I can't be away from you either, my darling.”

Charles kissed Erik one more time before climbing off his lap. “Email Hank and then come to the bedroom. We've got to get ready for tonight.”

“Oh, right, the film premiere. Do we really have to go to that?”

Charles paused in the doorway. “Erik, you own the company that produced it. Yes, we have to go. Besides, I want to see it.”

“Alright, alright,” Erik said, reaching for his laptop. “I'll be there in a minute.”

Erik sent the email off to Hank and promptly forgot about the entire thing.

But Charles wandered into his office mid-afternoon the next day, a questioning look on his face. “Have you heard back from Hank yet?”

“About what?” Erik asked, not looking up from his paperwork. “This bank in Kenya is killing me.”

“Well, don't let it actually kill you, I'd be very upset about that,” Charles said. “About my mother, Erik. Have you heard back from Hank about my mother?”

Erik looked up from the paperwork. “I hadn't last time I checked, but that was awhile ago, so let me check again.”

Charles sat down across from Erik and swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what he was anticipating – a way back into his family, or the final death nail into the coffin that had been his life before Erik. 

“Email from Hank, let me open it,” Erik murmured. “Unimportant, unimportant, unimportant. Aha, here we go. 'Miss Xavier returned this morning and when I posed your query to her, she stated that she missed her son, does not care about his past, and would like to see him. I took down her phone number and told her I would pass it along, but that it is entirely up to Charles to decide if he calls or not. She responded that she hoped he will and then left.' And then there's the phone number.”

Charles just nodded. “Write it down for me?”

Erik grabbed a notepad and wrote the number on it, tearing off the paper and handing it over to Charles. “Are you going to call her?”

“I don't know,” Charles said, standing up. “I need to think about it.”

“Charles, for what it's worth,” Erik said, “if I was estranged from my family, and my mother showed up at the office demanding to talk to me, I'd at least listen to what she had to say, even if I decided after that to never talk to her again.” 

Charles nodded, staring at the number on the paper. “Can we go to Raymark for the weekend? I want to get out of the city.”

“Anything you want, darling,” Erik said, watching as Charles walked out of the office. He sighed heavily once he was out of sight, and said a silent prayer to a deity he no longer believed in that Sharon Xavier didn't have any sort of agenda besides reconnecting with her son. Because Charles was going to call. It might not be that night or that week, but Charles was going to call.

Erik didn't want to have to put the pieces of Charles back together again. He would if he had to, but he really wished he wouldn't have to.


	33. Chapter 33

Erik was waiting when Charles walked into the house, and the first thing he did was walk straight into Erik's arms. Erik tightened them around him, and Charles buried his face in Erik's neck without saying a thing.

After a few minutes, Charles pressed a kiss to Erik's neck and moved away slightly, resettling his head on Erik's shoulder. “She wanted money,” he breathed out. “I got up and left as soon as she made her intentions clear. I told her I wanted nothing to do with her.”

Erik immediately wanted to kill Sharon Xavier. “Oh darling, I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay,” Charles said. “I should have known that's what she wanted. I didn't really believe her when we were on the phone together. She's never been good at lying to me. I just...I wanted to see her. I missed my mother.”

“Darling,” Erik murmured, bending down to kiss him softly. “I really am terribly sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Charles said. “If anything, you gave me the chance to see her one last time.”

“I was hoping it would go well.”

“I know,” Charles said, pulling Erik into another kiss. “I love you. You're all the family I need.”

“Well, you're going to get my family as a result of that,” Erik murmured. “Mama wants us to come to Germany soon. I told her we would, but we have somewhere else to go first.”

“Oh, we do, do we?” Charles asked, playfulness in his voice. “And where are you whisking me off to now?”

“Rome,” Erik said, looking into Charles's eyes. “I thought my favorite ancient history student would like to see some ancient things.”

Charles laughed, pulling Erik into another kiss. “You spoil me.”

“You deserve to be spoiled,” Erik said. “So, Rome is good, yes?”

“Rome is amazing,” Charles said, moving away from him. “I'm going to go take a shower.”

Erik let him go, and soon Charles found himself standing there, letting the water pour down over his head and sluice down his body. His mind was still on the lunch with his mother, of how her smile was the same, so was her laugh, and he was so upset with the fact that she just wanted to use him that he began to cry. Sobs wracked his body, knowing that the last thread that connected him to his family and his life in Glasgow had finally been cut. And even though he had operated for years thinking that there was nothing tying him to his old home, knowing for sure that there was going to be no reconciliation hurt more than he ever thought it would.

And then the door to the shower opened and suddenly Erik was behind him, all warm skin and hard muscles as strong arms wrapped around his waist.

“It's alright, darling,” Erik said softly, pressing kisses to the nape of Charles's neck. “You've still got me.”

Charles let his body relax back against Erik's, let his head fall back from the spray and settle on Erik's shoulder. He loved being held like that, knowing that the man behind him loved him more than anything in the world. “I love you, Erik.”

“I love you too, darling,” Erik said, tilting his head to press a kiss to Charles's forehead. “I promise you, I'm never leaving. You're stuck with me for the rest of our lives.”

“It hurts,” Charles said wearily. “I got my hopes up even though I knew I shouldn't have, and to hear her say that...it hurts, baby.”

Erik angled his lips against Charles's and pressed them together softly. “She doesn't deserve you. Not if she can't understand that you're worth cherishing because you're the most important thing in the world. Not if all she wants is to fuck around with you until you give her what she wants.”

Charles got quiet and pushed himself away from Erik's embrace, ducking his head back underneath the spray. He was only there for a few moments before he was being spun around and Erik's lips crashed down upon his, desperate and needy. Charles kissed him back just as desperately and just as needy, because he'd always needed Erik, from the moment they first met, and he didn't think that was going to change any time soon.

When they broke apart, Erik rested his forehead against Charles's, sucking in a few deep breaths. “I'm so in love with you, darling. More than anyone or anything ever. My mother used to think the only thing I loved was money. When relationship after relationship failed, I thought maybe she was right. And then I met you, and my whole world changed.”

“I think you are still in love with money,” Charles said softly, his body responding to the way they were pressed flush up against one another. “But I do realize that you love me more.”

Erik laughed. “You are probably right about me being in love with money. Money is infectious. Once you have some, it just makes you want more. If I didn't feel that way about it, I never would have gotten out of Germany, I never would have built Lehnsherr Industries into what it is today, and I never would have met you. So I'm not about to apologize for my love of money. But I do understand that the fact that I have this money makes you vulnerable to people wanting to take advantage of you, and for that I apologize. I still blame myself for what happened with Freddie and those motherfuckers, and I blame myself for what happened today with your mother.”

Charles looked deep into Erik's eyes and saw nothing but the warmth and love he'd always succumbed to, even on that first night when Erik had wanted to get him off when Charles never did that. “It's not your fault, baby.”

“It is though,” Erik said softly, leaning forward to kiss him again. “And so I'm sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” Charles admonished, but there was a playful tone to his voice that only Erik could bring out in him. “You have nothing to apologize to me for. You're the reason I'm still here. The money is secondary, and yes, I realize that I'm vulnerable to people wanting to take advantage of me because of it, but I can handle that. Yeah, it might hurt, but I can handle a little hurt, especially when I know that I get to come home to you.”

“I love knowing that I get to come home to you,” Erik murmured, spinning Charles around and pinning him stomach first against the wall. “Please tell me that we can...”

Charles groaned as Erik nipped at the back of his neck, Erik's hard cock suddenly very noticeable against his back. “Mmm, shower sex. Like I ever turn down shower sex.”

“I love you,” Erik mumbled against Charles's skin, reaching for the lube and condoms they kept in the shower. 

Charles felt a knee separate his legs, and he automatically brought one foot up to rest against the built-in soap dish until Erik's thighs fit inside his. “Please, Erik.”

The warmth against his back disappeared for a moment and Charles sucked in a deep breath when he heard the lube hit the floor, and then a slick finger was pressing into him. Charles hissed at the initial penetration, and he almost laughed from how quickly his body remembered that it really, really liked this. He let out a soft whimper when Erik joined a second finger with the first, and before long he was writhing against the cool tiled wall of the shower, Erik's skilled fingers remembering exactly where to touch him to drive him absolutely crazy.

“Erik, baby...God...fuck...do it...fuck...please...”

“You sure?”

“Just fuck me already,” Charles growled out, and Erik laughed as he tore a foil packet open, preparing himself before pulling his fingers out and replacing them with his cock.

They fell into a familiar rhythm easily, memories of the hundreds of times they must have done this coming back to Charles's mind as Erik wedged a hand in between Charles's body and the wall to stroke Charles's cock. It was every bit as good as it always was, and even better yet, because somehow, every time they had sex was better than the last.

“I love you, I need you,” Charles moaned out, again and again and again with each hard thrust Erik made into his body.

Erik shifted slightly and changed the angle, and then Charles was clawing at the wall, desperately looking for something to cling to at Erik hit his prostate over and over. It wasn't long before he started shaking, his breath coming fast and desperate, and then Erik's hand tightened around his cock, and Charles was coming, screaming Erik's name. Erik followed him across the edge a few thrusts later.

Erik slumped against him, pressing Charles harder against the wall, and they stayed that way for several minutes as their breathing returned to something close to normal. Then Erik was moving away and pulling Charles under the shower spray that, while still warm, felt cool against their heated skin, and they moved together like they did when they showered with each other every day, carefully cleaning and caressing each other until they were back in each other's arms, lips pressed together in a soft kiss.

“I love you too,” Erik whispered against Charles's lips. “I need you too.”

Charles found he couldn't say anything, just buried his head in Erik's neck and clung to him as though he was going to disappear at any moment. Erik held him close, eventually reaching over to shut the water off.

“Let's go get into bed, hm?”

Charles nodded and went with Erik when he stepped out of the shower, staying quiet as they toweled each other off and made their way out of the en suite and into their bedroom. Erik stopped to turn off the lights as Charles headed towards the bed and climbed underneath the linens. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and even though his brain was screaming at him about all the things he needed to do before the day was over, he knew he needed to relax for awhile. Erik joined him, arms wrapping around Charles's waist and pulling him close.

“Charles.”

“Erik,” Charles said, closing his eyes and relaxing into Erik's touch. “Just let me sleep for awhile.”

“Okay,” Erik said, taking a deep breath and resting his head next to Charles's on the pillow. “I'll wake you before dinner.”


	34. Chapter 34

“A bottle of champagne?” Charles asked, laughing. “How did you get a bottle of champagne in the middle of Rome?”

“I have my ways,” Erik said, grinning as he walked over to the table. “Shall we have a glass? We need to celebrate.”

Charles sighed and sat down on the bed, smiling as he watched Erik open the bottle. “I don't know what I ever did without champagne in my life.”

Erik laughed, looking over his shoulder at Charles. “I don't know what I ever did without you in my life.”

“That too,” Charles said, shifting around until he was half-lying, half-sitting on top of the mattress. “Make sure to fill mine to the top.”

“I always do, darling,” Erik said, setting the bottle down and walking over to join Charles on the bed. He handed Charles a glass and then raised his own in a toast, and Charles clinked their glasses together before they each drank the whole glass in one sip.

Charles sighed as Erik took the glasses away, and then suddenly Erik was practically in his lap, smiling as their lips connected. Just the simple act of kissing made him love Erik so, so much. “So what are we celebrating anyway?”

“I got some good news from New York.”

“Oh, and what good news is this?”

“Frost is being a complete hardass to Shaw, refusing to give in to any of his demands,” Erik said, smiling at him. “The lawyer I've got in there with her sent me an email saying she's barely necessary because Emma is going after Shaw so hard. Apparently Shaw's affair with Kitty Pryde really, really got under Emma's skin.”

“Kitty Pryde, huh? I like that song of hers they play on the radio.”

“So do I,” Erik said, and Charles laughed as Erik suddenly rolled onto his back and pulled Charles on top of him. “But we're not here to talk about Kitty Pryde.”

“No, we're not,” Charles said, shaking his head when Erik tried to capture his lips in another kiss. “Do you know how much I wanted to jump you in St. Peter's Square earlier? Wanted to defile my former altar boy right in front of St. Peter's Basilica just because I could.”

Erik laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around Charles's waist. “You would have gotten us arrested.”

“I know,” Charles said softly, ignoring the way that Erik's hands were sliding underneath his t-shirt. “But after everything I went through at the hands of a Catholic priest, it seemed like a fair trade.”

Erik growled at the reminder of Charles's past sexual abuse, but allowed himself to smile when Charles's arms went pliant and he could slide his t-shirt up and over his head. “I don't like being reminded of what you went through. It just makes me so angry.”

“Don't be ang—” Charles found the rest of his words stolen away by Erik's mouth, and his whole body shuddered as Erik ran his hands down Charles's sides, at just the right speed with just the right amount of pressure and... “Oh fuck it,” he mumbled into their kiss, bending down to press his lips harder against Erik's.

Erik instantly took control again, rolling them over so he had Charles pinned against the bed and then giving him a wicked smile. “I'm glad he didn't ruin this for you. I would have loved you even if we couldn't have sex all the time, but I am so, so glad that he didn't ruin this for you.”

“You're the first one whose made it worthwhile,” Charles said, bringing his hands up to start undoing the buttons on Erik's shirt. “You're the first one I've ever wanted to have sex with. You're the only one I'm ever going to want to have sex with.”

“You're the only one I'm ever going to want to have sex with too,” Erik said, and then their eyes met in a soft gaze. “I love you, Charles. You're the most important thing in the world to me, and I wouldn't change that for anything.”

Charles felt his throat tighten at the sheer honesty he saw in Erik's eyes, and he forced down a breath. “Erik...”

Erik sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it somewhere behind him, then laid down on top of Charles and kissed him softly. “I mean it. I love you, darling.”

And then the honesty was there in his voice, and dammit, Charles was not going to get emotional. He wasn't.

Their lips reconnected and Charles forced the issue sooner than he wanted to just to get Erik's mind off of heartfelt confessions and on to sex. It wasn't that he didn't love the heartfelt confessions; it was that there was still part of him that felt he didn't deserve them. But he didn't want to tell Erik that, and he sighed inwardly when his plan worked. Erik's hips began to grind against his, and shameless moans began to spill from Charles's lips, the tension in his body ratcheting up to extremely arousing levels.

Erik's hands drifted down to Charles's jeans and quickly undid the fly, then tugged at the waistband until Charles lifted up his hips and let Erik slide them down. He pulled his underwear down with them, and then Charles was lying there, fully exposed, and Erik was looking into his eyes again, and fuck, Charles hadn't felt this vulnerable in a really, really long time.

Erik bent down and pressed kisses across Charles's taut stomach, sliding in between Charles's legs as they parted to give him better access. He pulled the offensive material of Charles's jeans away as he kissed down his right hip, tossing them off the bed, then turned his attention to the rapidly hardening cock resting there. Charles gasped as Erik ran his tongue along its side, grasping at the bed linens as Erik's hand came up to stroke him while the other searched around for a condom. Once he found one and slid it onto Charles's cock, Erik swirled his tongue around the head and slowly pulled it into his mouth.

Erik Lehnsherr had been born to suck cock, Charles had decided, ages upon ages ago when they were first together, first figuring out each other's bodies. Despite never feeling the wetness, Erik's mouth had the perfect amount of warmth, with a tongue so skilled that he'd never had anyone who could match his prowess. Erik knew just when to suck and when to stroke, the right amount of pressure to use when he dragged his teeth up and down the shaft, and he didn't ever neglect the balls, which Charles remembered with startling clarity as Erik's mouth slid down and took one into his mouth. 

He'd never tell Erik, but before him, Freddie had given Charles the best blowjobs he'd ever had, but they were nothing compared to this. Freddie didn't try to kill him with a blowjob. Erik was clearly trying to kill him with one.

Nonetheless, Charles's hands drifted from the bed linens to grasp onto Erik's head as it bobbed up and down, and his legs parted wider when Erik trailed a finger down his perineum towards his hole. Charles sucked in a deep breath as Erik prodded it gently, letting one of his hands tighten in Erik's hair and pull hard to get his attention.

Erik let Charles's dick slip from between his lips and looked up and him, and Charles thought he looked so absolutely shameless with those swollen lips that he could barely remember what it was he'd stopped him for. “Lube,” he breathed out. “Not without lube.”

Erik gave him a wicked smile and kissed the head of his cock before sliding further down the bed and shifting Charles's legs around until he had complete access to what he wanted. He trailed his tongue down the perineum until it reached Charles's hole, and as soon as he began to lick the tight ring of muscle, Charles grabbed the pillow from behind his head and tried to smother the moans he knew he wouldn't be able to keep quiet enough. They were in a hotel, after all, and this was something that they rarely ever did.

Erik took his time, letting his tongue play with the puckered skin until it was open enough for him to slide his tongue part of the way inside, and Charles was so aroused that he thought he was about to die. Erik fucked him with his tongue for awhile before pulling back and replacing his tongue with the tip of his finger. Charles felt the familiar burn as a second finger joined the first, and the lack of proper lubrication only made it last longer as Erik stretched him.

Charles wanted him to continue – god how he wanted him to continue – but he'd been with too many clients who'd fucked him without proper lubrication and hurt him, and he didn't want to have a memory of Erik doing the same. He pulled the pillow off his head and stared down at Erik, who was looking at him with wild eyes.

“Lube?” Erik asked.

“Lube,” Charles answered. “It's not that I don't want, it's just...”

“I understand, darling,” Erik said, reaching for the lube. “Trust me, I understand.”

Erik stood up and stripped off the rest of his clothes, and then he was back on the bed. He got the cap of the tube off in a flash and then his fingers were nice and slick and Charles found himself pushing back against them, begging Erik not to stop.

Erik reached for another condom and tore open the foil packet with his teeth, rolling it onto himself before pulling out his fingers and sliding into Charles, slow and deep.

“Oh fuck,” Charles breathed out, biting his tongue as Erik pulled out and thrust back in, the pace slow and deliberate. “Just make sure I can walk tomorrow. We're going to the Colosseum and the Pantheon.”

“Not a problem,” Erik said, bending Charles's legs up and leaning down to kiss him hard as he slowly picked up the speed of his thrusts. 

Charles tangled their tongues together and brought his hands up to grasp Erik's head, keeping him there so he could use Erik's mouth to silence the moans that were spilling from his lips. And then the thrusts were harder and the moans got louder and the tension in Charles's body got so incredibly close to its breaking point that he thought he was going to die if he didn't come soon.

“Touch me,” he mumbled against Erik's lips, and then Erik's hand was around him, squeezing and stroking. “Erik, please.”

One more stroke and Charles was gone, come splattering out across his chest, Erik's lips sealing in the carnal scream that tore from itself from his lips. Erik broke their kiss once he was sure Charles was finished making noise and buried his head in Charles's neck, thrusting and thrusting and thrusting until Charles managed enough energy to squeeze his muscles around Erik's cock and then Erik was coming, his moans of completion smothered by the skin of Charles's neck.

Breathing heavily, Erik collapsed on top of him, and Charles slowly maneuvered his legs back down to the bed. And they stayed like that for what felt like hours, basking in the afterglow of something that had been, quite simply, utterly spectacular.

Erik eventually moved away from him and dropped down onto the other side of the bed, looking up at Charles with sleepy eyes and a soft smile. “You are amazing.”

“You're pretty amazing yourself,”Charles said, leaning over to kiss him softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Erik murmured, taking a deep breath before hauling himself up and off the bed. He worked his condom off and then tied it, tossing it into the trash and heading into the bathroom.

Charles sat up and worked off the condom he was wearing, tying it off and tossing it into the trash before dropping back to the bed. Erik came back a few moments later with a washcloth, and he gently cleaned Charles off before he tossed it away and climbed back on the bed.

Charles went into his arms willingly, and they laid there in silence for awhile, Charles's head pillowed on Erik's chest.

“Do you want more champagne?” Erik eventually asked.

“Later,” Charles said, tracing patterns into Erik's skin. “Erik?”

“Yes?”

“I know this trip is supposed to be all about me, but I've got a surprise for you. Would you like it now?”

Erik smiled and ran his hand along Charles's arm. “If you want to give it to me.”

Charles pressed a kiss to Erik's chest then climbed off the bed. “Stay here.”

“Not going anywhere,” Erik said, watching as Charles walked over to his suitcase and rummaged through it. 

Charles came walking back a few minutes later, holding an envelope in his hands. He climbed back on to the bed and sat down next to Erik, holding out the envelope.

“What's this?” Erik asked, taking it from him.

“Just open it,” Charles said, his voice betraying his nerves.

Erik studied him for a moment before tearing the envelope open, pulling out the papers inside. He unfolded them and studied the words on the first page for a moment before immediately flipping to the final page, a grin crossing his face when he saw Charles's name signed on the appropriate line. “You signed them,” he choked out, his throat tight with emotion.

“I signed them,” Charles murmured, bringing one of Erik's hands up to his lips to kiss. “It's my way of saying I'm ready. I'm ready for the rest of my life. The stuff with my mother made me realize it. She was a link to the past, and I'm sick of living in the past. I want to live in the present and in the future, and I want to do both those things with you. So, I did the only thing I could think of to make you realize that I am one hundred percent serious about this, and I signed them.”

Erik set the papers to the side and sat up, pulling Charles into a deep kiss. “I love you. Thank you.”

“No, Erik, thank you. That is an unbelievable gift that you have given me,” Charles murmured against Erik's lips.

“It's no less than you deserve,” Erik murmured back. “You deserve everything in the world, my beautiful, beautiful darling. And I will do my best to get it for you.”

Charles deepened the kiss and then pulled back, smiling at Erik. “I love you, and I cannot wait for our future together.”

Erik grinned and pulled them down to the bed, carefully setting the papers on the bedside table before pouncing on Charles. They had a lot more to celebrate now. But there was an idea circulating in the back of Erik's mind, and he made note of it. He had to come up with a plan, and then once they were back home in London, he'd have to find the right moment. They had a future together.

It was just time to make it legal.


	35. Chapter 35

Charles was in Erik's office, in Erik's lap, talking about spending a week at Raymark Hall, when the phone rang. Erik apologized for the interruption and answered it, and then Charles sat there and listened to half of a conversation.

“How did it go?”

Pause.

“What was the offer?”

Pause.

“And he went for it?”

Pause.

“You've got to be fucking with me.”

Pause.

A laugh.

“He's such a fucking moron. Tell Frost she gets her money.”

Pause.

“No, after this, I want to keep her around. Though if she fucks up again, she's gone. Make that clear to her.”

Pause.

Another laugh.

“Yes, hire Salvadore away from Hellfire now.”

Pause.

“Anything else?”

Pause.

“Wonderful. I'll go by there and pick that up later. Anything else?”

Pause.

“Fantastic job, Hank. Take the rest of the day off. Take Raven out somewhere special. I'll pay for it.”

Pause.

“No need for that yet. Still have to ask, you know?”

Pause.

“Well, I'm glad you're so confident. I'm pretty confident too, but you never know.”

Pause.

“Seriously, Henry. Go romance your lady tonight. And take tomorrow off too. Have a long weekend.”

Pause.

“Alright, I'll talk to you Monday then. Enjoy yourself. Tell Raven that Charles and I said hello.”

Erik hung up the phone and started laughing maniacally, and Charles looked at him like he was crazy. “What are you laughing so much for?”

“Emma,” Erik started, only to laugh again for a few moments. “Emma got Shaw to sell the forty percent of stock he owned back to me for sixty percent of what it's worth. Shaw was so sick of listening to her go on and on and on about Kitty Pryde that he agreed to the first proposal and signed it without even reading it.”

Erik started laughing again, and this time Charles joined him. “Oh God, that's brilliant.”

“I can't fire her now,” Erik said, still laughing. “That was a brilliant strategy, and it worked.”

“So we own one hundred percent of everything now?” Charles asked, laughing when Erik pulled him into a sloppy kiss.

“Yes, we do,” Erik said, grinning. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to say _we_ do instead of I. I still can't believe you signed the papers.”

“I didn't want you to be alone anymore,” Charles murmured. “Yeah, I've been around for a couple of years now, but when it came to your work, you were still alone. And I hated the thought of you being alone. Everything you've told me about how lonely you were for all those years before you met me still echoes through my mind, and I want to do everything I can to make sure that you're never lonely again.”

Erik smiled, thinking about what Hank had said, thinking about what was waiting at the jewelers, thinking about the plan in the back of his mind. “I've got you. How could I possibly be alone?”

“You won't be,” Charles said, kissing him softly. “You're stuck with me now.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way,” Erik said, pulling Charles into another kiss. “You know what sounds good right now?”

“What?”

“Bending you over this desk and pounding into you until you scream.”

Charles shuddered, jumping when Erik's hand started palming him through his flannel pajama pants. “You haven't bent me over this desk since that first day I woke up in your flat.”

“I know.”

“This is different.”

“How is it different?”

“Erik, Antonella is here.”

“Like that's stopped us before,” Erik said, cupping Charles's cock through the cloth barrier. “You certainly feel interested.”

Charles swallowed hard as Erik's hand pulled away only to slide into the front of his pants, wrapping his hand around Charles's cock and slowly stroking it. “Oh fuck.”

“Yes, fuck,” Erik murmured. “That's exactly what I want to do.”

“The door is open,” Charles barely got out as Erik's hand twisted around the head of his cock, gathering the moisture it found there. “We've got to close the door.”

“No,” Erik whispered in his ear. “I want to take you right here, right now, just the way everything is. If she sees, she sees. In fact, her seeing would be an amazing turn on, don't you think? Knowing that someone else is watching me fuck you, watching you come apart underneath me?”

Charles was close to coming apart just from Erik's movements, but he knew he had to draw the line. He reached out and stalled Erik's hand, turning to look at him. “Erik, I like Antonella. I don't want to have to replace Antonella. And I have had too much sex with other people watching in my life for it ever to be a turn on.”

Erik understood immediately, pulling his hand out of Charles's pants. “Go close the door, then get those clothes off.”

Charles scrambled off of Erik's lap and over to the door, shutting it and locking it before tearing his pajamas off and making his way back around the desk to where Erik was finding lube and condoms in his desk drawer. “You still keep that in here?”

“Just because I haven't bent you over the desk doesn't mean we haven't fucked in my office,” Erik pointed out. “I've lost count of how many times we've fucked in my office.”

“Good point,” Charles said, pulling Erik out of his chair. “You're wearing too many clothes.”

Erik grinned as Charles started unbuttoning his shirt, chasing him into a kiss. Charles forced the shirt off Erik's arms once he had it loose, and then he let his lips trail down Erik's neck and then his collarbone, getting progressively lower until he was on his knees in front of Erik.

“Oh fuck,” Erik murmured as Charles slowly undid his trousers, letting them drop to the ground. Charles mouthed Erik's hard cock through his underwear, careful to avoid the wet spot that was quickly forming on them. Eventually he pulled back and peeled them down, grinning when Erik's erection sprang out in front of him.

“Condom,” Charles said, holding out his hand. Erik scrambled around until he was pressing one into Charles's hand, and Charles grinned up at him. “Thank you, baby.”

Charles quickly tore the foil packet open and rolled the condom onto Erik's cock, then swirled his tongue around its head. He felt Erik's hands tangle in his hair as he let Erik's cock into his mouth, opening up his throat and letting him all the way in. Erik couldn't resist the urge to thrust, and Charles pulled back, staring up at him with a bright smile.

“Fuck my mouth, baby.”

Erik let out a long groan when Charles opened his mouth wide and crossed his arms behind his back, then thrust into that talented mouth. He started out gently, but that didn't last for long, so turned on by the fact that Charles was taking whatever Erik was giving him that he picked up speed and thrust hard, knowing that he had to bruising, knowing that Charles's voice would be wrecked for at least the rest of the night, if not most of the day tomorrow. 

When he felt himself teetering on that edge, he quickly reached out and squeezed the bottom of his cock, cutting off his impending orgasm. He pulled his cock out of Charles's mouth, staring down at him with wild eyes. “Over the desk,” Erik murmured. “Now.”

Charles got to his feet and shoved Erik's chair out of the way, bending over the desk and finding a place to hold on. He keened when two sticky fingers slid into him, stretching him. It didn't take much to prepare him – they'd just had sex less than two hours ago, he estimated – and then Erik was sliding deep inside him, drawing a long, delicious moan from Charles's mouth.

Erik stayed sheathed inside him and bent down over Charles, licking and nipping at the back of his neck. “You're not allowed to touch yourself,” he ordered. “I want you to come just from my cock inside you. Do you think you can do that, my good boy?”

Charles shuddered at the authoritative tone in Erik's voice, the one that sometimes – but rarely – came out, and he found himself nodding vigorously. “Whatever you want, sir.”

Erik growled and started to thrust, slow and languid soon giving way to hard and fast, fucking Charles into the desk. Charles didn't hold back, pushing into the thrusts, arching his back to try and get better friction for his aching cock, but Erik reached out and held him down against the desk.

“Good boys don't move.”

Charles nearly came from the sound of Erik's voice. God, he loved it when Erik wanted him to be a good boy. He stilled his movements and pressed his cheek to the cool wood below his face, taking the pounding that Erik was giving him. 

Erik felt himself close to the edge again, and stopped, his cock half in Charles's body. He let himself slide back in completely before leaning over Charles again, biting down on the nape of his neck. Charles groaned from the mixture of pain and pleasure, wanting desperately to reach for Erik but knowing things would just get better if he didn't.

Erik had left him hard and aching and without release despite being teased for almost three hours the one time Charles decided he didn't want to be a good boy. He didn't want that again.

Erik stood up again, reaching down and running his hand over the curve of Charles's ass, then slapping it, grinning when that drew a long moan from Charles's lips. “Oh, you like that, do you?”

Charles just groaned. Erik, of course, already knew how much Charles liked that, especially when he did it while he was buried deep inside Charles. 

Erik spanked him again, sighing happily when that made Charles shudder around his cock. He took his other hand and spanked the other side of Charles's ass twice, delighting in the moans that were coming from Charles's lips. “Should I pull you over my knees and spank you like a bad boy? Or should I keep fucking you like a good boy?”

Erik spanked him a few more times, and it took Charles a few moments to answer him. “Whatever you think I deserve, sir.”

Erik spanked him one more time before pulling his cock out and slamming it back into him, setting a brutal pace. “I think you're a good boy,” Erik said. “Good boys get thoroughly fucked, not spanked.”

Erik pounded into Charles, and Charles just laid there and took it, feeling the moisture building up on the desk underneath him from where his cock was leaking. He was close, so close, and it would just take a little bit more to send him over the edge.

Charles squirmed a little bit and Erik spanked him again as he thrust into him, and that was enough to tear the scream from Charles's throat, his cock pulsing underneath him, ruining the paperwork he knew he was leaning on. Charles tightened around Erik's cock and Erik slammed into him one last time, sending Erik over the edge, collapsing down onto Charles's back as he felt wave after wave of pleasure go through him. 

Erik eventually recovered enough to peel Charles away from the desk and collapse into the chair, his cock still buried deep inside him. Charles let his head rest on Erik's shoulder, shivering when Erik's hand trailed down and wrapped around his sensitive, softening cock. 

“You were a very good boy,” Erik murmured, kissing Charles softly. “I reward good boys.”

“Mmm, yes,” Charles said, letting his eyes slip closed as he felt Erik stroking his cock, a mixture of pain and pleasure flowing through him. “What's my reward?”

“Dinner in Paris tomorrow night,” Erik said, a big smile on his face. “We haven't been to L'Astrance in awhile.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Charles murmured, wiggling around in Erik's lap. “So how much more sex are we going to have today?”

“As much as we can stand?” Erik asked, groaning as he felt his cock start to harden again. “Someone is certainly trying to get me hard again.”

“Oh, like you aren't trying to get me hard again too,” Charles laughed. “Is it working?”

“Tell me that in a few minutes when I have you straddling me while I thrust up into you, deeper than you've ever felt me before.”

Charles groaned loudly, feeling the blood rush from his head down to his cock. “Sounds amazing.”


	36. Chapter 36

Three days ago, Erik had taken Charles back to Paris, back to L'Astrance, back to the site of their first date. And on the plane ride back to London, Erik had given Charles a box, and inside the box had been a platinum band, and Charles had nearly dropped it when he realized that Erik was on one knee in front of him. 

Three days ago, Erik had asked Charles to spend the rest of his life with him, to make themselves legally bound to each other, to marry him. Charles had cried and kissed him and said yes over and over and over again.

Three hours ago, they'd been at their local magistrate's office, with Hank and Raven as witnesses, and exchanged their vows. Now there was a shiny platinum band on Charles's ring finger, and a matching one on Erik's, and they belonged to each other.

They'd already belonged to each other, but now it was legal.

The bedroom door closed behind them, and wordlessly, Erik pinned Charles against the back of it, pressing tightly against him and breathing shakily into his neck. The mundane conversation they'd been having about their country estate flew straight out of Charles's head with Erik's chest expanding and contracting against his, feeling the full weight of Erik's body against him. It was this that he'd been craving, needing, since the moment they'd said their vows, and he could already tell by the tension he felt pulsing through Erik that the intensity was just as great for the other man in the room.

Erik eventually pulled back and stared at Charles with a gaze so full of feeling that it stole the breath from Charles's lungs, before lunging forward and pressing his mouth hard against Charles's. Charles found himself melting into Erik's embrace. Erik sneaked his hands to the buttons of Charles's shirt and started undoing them, and Charles broke the kiss momentarily to pull it off and toss it to the floor. His hands came alive and quickly divested Erik of his shirt, and then they were kissing again, bare chests pressed together, Erik's tongue sneaking its way into Charles's mouth.

Erik's hands were moving against him at an almost frantic pace, coming to rest on the waistband of Charles's trousers and tugging on it expectantly. Charles just kissed him harder, and then Erik got the fly undone and shoved Charles's trousers and underwear down in one quick motion, turning his attention to his own. When both their pants were around their ankles, Erik pressed into Charles again, skin on skin, and Charles pressed forward into Erik just as much. Charles gasped as Erik gripped his hands and drew them above his head, and Erik's mouth suddenly found his neck, trailing kisses along its nape until he reached the curve where neck met shoulder. There he broke away and reattached his lips along the edge of Charles's collarbone, nipping and sucking his way from one side of his chest to the other. Charles shuddered against him, completely wrapped up in the feeling of Erik all around him, whining low in his throat at how hard Erik was against his hip.

Erik kissed his way up the other side of his neck and then along Charles's jaw until he claimed Charles's lips again, hot and possessive. Charles knew that Erik was trying to claim him and mark him, trying to leave some sort of imprint on him that screamed to the world that Charles Xavier was the property of one Erik Lehnsherr, and he longed to wake up the next morning to find bruises the shape of Erik's mouth littered across his skin. 

Charles did his best to rub against Erik with his hands still pinned above him, but Erik was clearly setting the pace and rhythm, dictating their every move. Erik pulled back to gasp for breath, and his hands left Charles's, sliding down his arms and then his sides, before converging on Charles's chest with stuttered movements. Charles could tell that Erik was fighting for control of himself and brought his hands down to take Erik's face gently, making him look at him.

“What do you need?” Charles whispered softly, already knowing the answer to the question. He always seemed to know exactly what it was Erik needed, and right now it was to just take him, devour him whole.

“I need...I need...” Erik shuddered against him and Charles leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

“I know,” Charles said, pushing away from the door and quickly shrugging out of his shoes and the pants still at his ankles. He stripped his socks off for good measure, then knelt down before Erik, carefully extracting him from the clothes that still trapped him. When he was finished, he kissed his way back up Erik's body, carefully avoiding any contact with Erik's cock, then made his way over to the bed. He climbed onto it and looked over at Erik, whose eyes were filled with something dark and carnal as he stared back at Charles. Erik walked slowly towards the bed as Charles arranged himself on all fours, and they both moaned when Erik's hands pressed into Charles's back, his cock sliding up against Charles's arse.

“I need you, my beautiful husband,” Erik finally stuttered out, his hands clutching hard at Charles's hips as he ground himself against him. Charles gasped in pleasure as he felt Erik's fingers really dig into his skin, knowing that it was hard enough to bruise, knowing that Erik wanted to own him so badly that he could barely stand it.

Erik moved away and trailed his fingers down to Charles's ass, his thumbs spreading Charles apart. Charles felt his body tremble with eagerness as a single finger brushed across his hole, but it was nothing compared to the way Erik's fingers were trembling against him, and he thought for a moment of how desperate Erik was. He put all of his weight on one arm and brought the other forward, reaching underneath the pillow and finding the lube that they'd stashed there before handing it back to Erik. His skin prickled at the low, growling sound that escaped Erik's lips, and then Erik's hands momentarily left him. When they came back, there was a slick finger rubbing against Charles's entrance and he whimpered and pushed back against it.

Charles let his head fall down to his chest when Erik pressed the finger inside him, welcoming the stretch that was so familiar. Erik thrust the finger in and out for a short while, then joined it with a second, and after a moment, Charles was moaning with abandon as Erik found his prostate and made him writhe against him. Erik pressed down hard against it, and then again, and then again, and then again, the over-stimulation making Charles see stars and silently beg for more.

When he could not wait any longer, Erik pulled the fingers out of him and flipped Charles over, pushing him down to the bed as he crawled onto it, a look of desperate hunger in his eyes. Charles let his eyes close for a moment then slid his hands back underneath the pillows, searching around until he found the foil packet containing the condom. He practically threw it at Erik, drawing a deep laugh from his husband's throat as he picked it up from where it landed and ripped the packet open. Charles shuddered against the bed as he listened to the rustling of Erik sliding the condom onto himself, and then Charles spread his legs as wide as they could go. Every thought in his head was driven out when Erik pushed in, as far as he could go in one stroke, and Erik's head dropped down to Charles's chest. Erik stayed still for a moment and Charles squeezed his muscles around him impatiently, jolting Erik's head up.

With a filthy smile, Erik leaned forward and kissed Charles hard, then began to move. There was no finesse, just a fast rhythm of in and out, but Charles felt all of the desperation and longing and love that Erik was feeling in each invading thrust. He just spread his legs a little further apart and took it all, breaking their kiss to moan at the onslaught. He felt like he was being taken in ways he'd never felt before, and given the fact that this was their first time as a married couple, he wasn't surprised.

They said everything got better once you were married. Charles couldn't help but think they were right about that.

Erik was gasping against his neck, sweat dripping from him onto Charles's equally drenched skin, and he could barely find it in him to turn his head slightly so he could whisper in Charles's ear. “I love you, my beautiful husband.”

A scream tore its way out of Charles's throat at that and he was coming, cock pulsing in between them. When the stars faded from his eyes and the world around him returned, he found Erik still against him, staring down at him with wonder in his eyes.

“You're so beautiful when you come,” Erik whispered, bending down and gathering Charles's lips in a hard kiss. “So beautiful.”

Charles wrapped his legs around Erik's waist when he felt Erik start to pull away from him, using them to guide Erik back deep inside him. “Move,” he managed, and Erik kissed him again.

“Are you sure?”

Charles nodded and kissed him back and managed to swallow his cry when Erik started to move again. He let his eyes drift closed and arched into Erik's touch, and it was dizzying and painful and over-stimulating and powerful and the most amazing thing he'd ever felt all at once. Erik picked up the pace again, and Charles opened his eyes to stare up into Erik's. He pulled Erik close by the neck, breathless and riding high on a post-orgasmic afterglow, and whispered softly into his ear. “I love you too, husband.”

Erik shuddered violently against him as his orgasm hit him, and Charles kept his eyes upon him as he watched Erik ride out the waves of pleasure before collapsing against him. They laid there together, completely blissed out, until Erik shifted around and pulled out of him, dropping down next to him on the bed. Silence descended upon the room as they both gasped for breath, but soon Erik was rolling back on top of Charles and kissing every bit of skin he could reach. “I think you were so loud the whole city heard.” 

Charles laughed at that, realizing that he hadn't held himself back during their lovemaking. “Well, someone made me feel things I've never felt before.”

Erik kissed him softly, and in the midst of their lazy kissing session, Charles felt a wave of excitement rush over him as the thought that he got to have this for the rest of his life invaded his mind. 

Erik tangled their fingers together, their rings clinking against one another, and he broke the kiss to grin down at Charles. “We're married.”

“We're married,” Charles echoed, grinning back at him. “Erik, I...I can't even put how I'm feeling into words. I've never been happier in my life.”

“Neither have I,” Erik said, bending down to kiss Charles softly. “I'm so glad I drove down that street twenty-something times that night until the most beautiful man I'd ever seen came into view.”

“My knight in a shiny black Mercedes,” Charles laughed. “God, and you were right after some arsehole that had stiffed me too. You literally saved my arse that night. I had rent due the next day and it wasn't going to be paid until you picked me up and paid me that ridiculous amount of money.”

Erik laughed. “You are worth every penny of it.”

“I better be,” Charles breathed out, “because now you're stuck with me for the rest of our lives.”

“I wouldn't want it any other way,” Erik murmured, kissing Charles again. “You're perfect, you know that?”

“No, you are,” Charles whispered. “Husband.”

“Say it again,” Erik implored.

“Husband,” Charles breathed out. “You're my husband. And I'm yours.”

“My beautiful husband,” Erik said, kissing him deeply before bringing Charles's hand up to his mouth and kissing his ring. “Forever.”

“Forever,” Charles agreed, laughing when Erik let go of his hand and started kissing his neck. “God, we're going to break our record for how many hours we continuously have sex, aren't we?”

“We're newlyweds,” Erik mouthed into his skin. “We're supposed to be all over each other.”

Charles laughed, wrapping his legs around Erik's waist. “I'm not complaining.”

“You better not be,” Erik said, pulling back to look Charles in the eye. “I love you. You're mine. Forever.”

Charles just smiled. “I love you too. I'm yours. Forever.”


End file.
